


dollhouse

by Vitexy



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, Angst, Blood and Violence, Body Horror, Body Modification, Cybernetics, Dehumanization, Disturbing Themes, Eventual Smut, Found Family, Healing, Healthy Relationships, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Inspired by Cyberpunk 2077, It's ambiguous in-universe, M/M, Mercenaries, Minor Violence, Recreational Drug Use, Slow Burn, Tagging is difficult, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unhealthy Relationships, past!Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa, watch me suffer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:07:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 64,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28432914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vitexy/pseuds/Vitexy
Summary: The year is 2077. Yunho has left his clan in search of a new start in Night City. He thinks he's ready for the harsh realities of city life, left behind his old customs and traditions with his clan, but then he meets a doll who shows him that nothing has changed. Only the back drop.
Relationships: Choi Jongho/Jung Wooyoung, Choi San/Jeong Yunho
Comments: 58
Kudos: 135





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ummm?? 
> 
> Okay listen, Cyberpunk 2077 is an incredibly glitchy ass game that should not have been released yet but it was and I actually really enjoy it and the lore is super interesting and yeah. I left my PC at home and can't play rn so I'm writing this instead LOL. 
> 
> I have absolutely no idea how long this is going to be so I apologize in advance. This is very much a WIP though I do have quite a bit of it written. I have no clue what I'm doing, but I think it's kinda fun to write, so I hope you guys like it. 
> 
> There's a lot of lore and slang in this series that I'm going to use, but I'm very much trying my best to write it in a way that is accessible for anyone including those who are unfamiliar with this game/setting (and frankly the lore is so fucking VAST that even I don't know half of it and I tweaked and changed some things anyways). Not trying to make this a horror or body horror thing by any means and I don't think I was all that graphic, but please be wary if you are sensitive to that kind of imagery. It also deals with a setting that very much devalues humans and human life so read at your own risk! 
> 
> With that said if anything, term or whatever is still confusing let me know! I'll try to make it clearer in the future. 
> 
> This first chapter is a lot of Yunho/Jongho backstory. Sorry~

The hot, desert sun beats down unforgiving on Yunho’s back as he tinkers with the engine of his car, hands covered in dark soot and grease. Old thing had been reliable for many years, but it started making odd sputtering noises on the last leg of his journey here, and Yunho had to stop by the nearest mechanic to take a look at it. 

“You sure you don’t want to just get it changed out?” the shop owner asks, fingers fiddling with the brim of his hat. 

“Touch my car and I swear I’ll flatline you,” Yunho threatens, waving the wrench he’d been holding around as if to prove his point. 

“You’re the one who came all the way out here. Figured you needed some help.” The owner holds his hands up in surrender, not looking to pick a fight. 

Yunho turns back to his car, confident that the issue has been resolved anyways. “Don’t need your help. Just your tools.” He reaches up for the hood of his car and slams it down with a loud thud. “I know what I’m doing.”

Turning around, he holds the wrench he’d previously used to threaten the man out for him to take, and he snatches it back while muttering curses under his breath. “Nomads,” Yunho catches him swearing, “think they know everything about cars. Can’t wait for this one to break down and teach you a lesson.” 

Yunho curls his lips back into a snarl, ready to rip into the mechanic for that statement. He knew exactly what he was doing, probably better than this amateur did. He’d spent his entire life around cars, learned how they worked better than he knew how half his own implants did. He could dissect a car with his eyes closed, so yeah, when it came to his car he knew _exactly_ what he was doing, and he’d be damned if he let some backwards hick living out in the Badlands act like he knew better.

“Oi, are you Yunho?” 

Before he can snap back at the mechanic, someone calls his name and he looks up as a smaller but much more well built man approaches him. He holds himself confidently as he walks, and Yunho spies a holstered pistol at his side. Yunho tenses up, immediately on guard. “Who’s asking?” he barks out defensively. 

The man smiles at him before his eyes trail over to the mechanic curiously. The old guy just shakes his head and turns to toss his wrench back in the tool box. “Get out of my garage if you’re done here,” he tells Yunho. 

Yunho doesn’t need to be told twice. He makes his way over to the driver’s side, yanking the car door open to slide inside only to release a little gasp of surprise when the man who’d called for him just wanders up to his car and plants his hands down on the hood. “Get off my car!” Yunho yells at him. 

“Where do you think you’re going without me?” 

“Who the fuck are you anyways?” Yunho eyes the car horn, resisting the urge to slam his elbow down on it. Something tells him it wouldn’t do any good against this guy anyways. 

The man smacks the hood of his car once, startling Yunho who stares at him like he’d just defiled his daughter in front of him. With a little laugh, he rounds the car to the passenger side and slips in without invitation. “Name’s Jongho,” he introduces. “I’m the guy who hired you to run something for me.” 

“Ah.” Yunho hunches over his steering wheel as he openly eyes Jongho from head to toe. “This a joke? Don’t look like you’ve got anything to run.” 

Jongho folds his hands behind his head and casually lifts his dirty boots onto the dashboard. “As I recall,” he says as he languidly stretches himself out, “you wanted to talk in person about the deal. I ain’t showing you nothing until I know if you running for me or not. So let’s talk, ey?” 

“Then talk.” Yunho turns on the engine for the car, breathing a little sigh of satisfaction when it sounds to be running as usual. “And get your feet off my dashboard.” 

“Or what?” Jongho taunts. 

“Or I’ll fucking cut them off.” He reaches down into the little pocket on his side where he keeps some of his own tools and weapons, flipping a knife over in his hand so Jongho can see. Without further prompting, Jongho quickly scrambles to sit upright. Yunho slowly places the knife back in its place and asks, “where to?” 

“There’s a little safe house just outside of this town to the east.” Jongho points in the general direction he’s referring to. “I’ve got the stuff there.” 

“Cool. So this deal then—” 

“What family you from?” Jongho cuts him off to ask. 

Yunho is silent, lips pressed together in a thin line as he glares at the rocky, off road dirt that doubled as the highway in these parts of the Badlands. Weren’t they supposed to discuss this deal? What the hell did Yunho’s family have to do with anything? “Does it matter?” he grumbles. 

“You’re not from ‘round here. Even I can tell that much.” Jongho tilts his head to the side as he regards Yunho curiously. “Wondering if it’s a good idea for you to run for me. Not exactly transporting, uh, legal shit.” 

“I’ve run plenty of shit into past checkpoints before, and I’ve run shit through Night City a few times too I know how to deal with border patrol,” Yunho assures him as he brushes blond bangs out of his eyes. “You want to run illegal shit in there? Then I’m your best option.” 

Jongho hums, trailing a finger over his jawline as he considers Yunho’s words. “Aren’t you Nomads, like, communal though? What are you doing, offering to do this job, all the way out here? What about your family?” 

“Look,” Yunho takes a turn a little sharper than he strictly needs to, but it jerks Jongho around a little bit which is enough to satisfy him. “You want to discuss the deal or not? I didn’t ask to meet so I could tell you all about my fucking family issues.” 

“Fine,” Jongho concedes as he rights himself in his seat. “I won’t offer you more than twenty percent of my cut. More than fair for your services as a runner and enough to keep you shushed about the contraband, no?” 

“No deal.” 

“You’re shittin’ me.” Jongho gapes at him from the passenger side. “You seriously want _more_ than that? I’m the one who got the gig and I’m the one puttin’ my neck out on the line for it. I just need you to fucking _drive_ —” 

“I don’t want a cut of your money,” Yunho clarifies as he drives up the little hill towards a shitty looking trailer. He assumes it’s the safe house Jongho had been talking about. “I want into the city. You can keep your pay. Just get me into Night City.” 

Jongho blinks at the request, raising an eyebrow at the Nomad. That’s...it? That’s all he wanted? “Hah. That’s all you want? Easy. Drop off point is in the city jus’ don’t leave after that.” He grins when Yunho gives him a sideways glare. “What? I thought you were trying to get a bigger cut, but you literally want nothing. That’s the easiest thing in the world. Who do ya think will kick you out of the city? Badges? They don’t give a shit if you just squat in the city.” 

Yunho groans as he throws the car into park and cuts the engine. “Quit shittin’ around with me. You _know_ what I mean. Looking to get some connections so I can survive in the city.” 

Jongho crosses his arms over his chest and regards the Nomad more critically, having the decency to take him a bit more seriously now. Yunho clearly isn’t some wide eyed idealist even if he wasn’t exactly making a winning move by trying to get into Night City. Jongho could at least respect him for that. It was more than the average gullible Night City citizen. “You tryna be a merc?” he asks skeptically. 

Nomads had pretty good gigs all things considered. Some of the best couriers they are. It’s not uncommon to hire a Nomad to help run or transport things the way Jongho had hired Yunho, but the Nomad is clearly looking for something else. Something more? Jongho quickly scans the car out of curiosity. Yunho had already pulled a knife out on him. What other weapons might he be hiding in this dingy hatchback? 

“Looking for work,” Yunho corrects gruffly as he shoulders his door open and steps out. “Don’t got no family anymore. Needa make a living somehow. Night City seems like a decent place to give it a shot.” 

Jongho laughs at his explanation and follows suit, slipping out of the car as well before he beckons Yunho over to the trailer door. “That’s some horseshit if I ever heard any. You’re a Nomad. Whaddya mean you don’t got no family? Why’re you runnin’ from them?” 

“I’m not running from nobody. My family’s gone. There’s nobody to run from.” Yunho drags his feet as he follows Jongho over to the trailer, peeking his head inside when the mercenary ducks inside. He wrinkles his nose in distaste. The trailer is a mess, floor littered with empty beer cans and other garbage, and the scent of alcohol and stale tobacco clings to the ugly carpet lining the floors of the thing. “I’m just looking for a fresh start.” 

Yunho startles at the loud bang that echoes through the tiny trailer when Jongho lugs a large case out from one of the rooms, unceremoniously dropping it to the floor. He stares at the item, doing a brief double take when he sees the Arasaka logo printed neatly on the side of it. 

“The hell is this?” he demands. 

“My cargo.” Jongho gently kicks the item with his toe. “You help me get this through inspection and into the city where I can drop it off for my client, and I’ll get you some help.” He grins at the Nomad and holds his hands out as he waits for Yunho’s approval. 

“What are you going to set me up with?” Yunho asks with narrowed eyes. 

Jongho places a foot on top of the cargo and leans against his bent knee. The grin on his face never once fades as he regards the Nomad appreciatively. Night City is a ruthless, unforgiving place. Fuck only knows why Yunho would look to get a “fresh start” there, but Jongho thinks, he might actually survive. “Well, for one you’ll need to find a place to live and a job to get some eddies flowing in your direction. I’ll hook you up with a Fixer I know, but you’re fuckin’ living out of your car til you can find a place yourself.” 

“Easy enough.” Yunho crosses his arms over his chest and stares at the box apprehensively. He’d been so desperate for a job like this, he hadn’t bothered to get the details. Perhaps he should have. Running contraband across the border was easy enough. Running _Arasaka_ contraband across the border? Unlikely. They’d never entrust their merch with some lowly Nomads. 

“So, we gotta deal or what?” 

Frowning, Yunho stares at the Arasaka label facing him like it’s taunting him. “I want contact with your best Fixer,” he clarifies, lifting his gaze to meet Jongho’s. “Promise that and we got a deal.” 

Sighing, Jongho arranges himself to sit on top of his cargo instead now. “Bud, lemme tell you something. I may not be the biggest hot shot of a merc running ‘round Night City, but I got a rep. And a good one at that. I got some good Fixers, but they contact me because they _know_ what they gonna get. Even if I just hand you their info, they won’t hook you up with any gigs. You’re a fucking nobody too them. You gotta get a good rep before you get good Fixers. You understand?” 

Yunho huffs and narrows his eyes at Jongho, sizing up the edgerunner as if he can tell if Jongho is yanking his chain or not. He might be a Nomad, but Yunho has done plenty of work that involved running things into the city back when he still lived with his clan, and if there’s one thing he’s learned from the city dwellers it’s that they’re all liars. Nothing like Nomads. 

But Jongho doesn’t look or sound like he’s lying to Yunho. He grins at the Nomad and allows his offer to hang in the air between them as he waits for Yunho’s response. 

“Fine,” Yunho relents when he ultimately judges Jongho to be truthful. Besides, Yunho begrudgingly admits that he has a point. Getting the name of a well known Fixer wouldn’t necessarily do him any good if they weren’t willing to work with him anyways. “Then I want the name of a Fixer who will work with me and that twenty percent cut.” 

Jongho’s smile drops at that, and he sputters a little in disbelief. “You serious? Ten percent. Hookin’ you up with a contact wasn’t part of the original deal.” 

“Twenty.” Yunho stubbornly refuses to budge on his terms. “Or you can find someone else to try and smuggle your stolen Arasaka goods into the city.” He turns to leave, certain that he’s made his point clear. Moving this kind of merch wouldn’t be easier and it would be even harder to find someone willing to do it for you. 

“Okay! Wait!” Jongho stops him. With a smirk, Yunho looks over his shoulder to look at him, waiting for the mercenary to continue. “I’ll give ya the twenty percent cut and hook you up with a good Fixer I know _if_ ,” he emphasizes as he reaches into his pocket to pull out a black and green chip, “you get us through the border check without having to use this.” 

“Credchip?” Yunho asks curiously. 

“Got it from the client.” Jongho twirls the credchip around in his fingers before slipping it back into his pocket. “Has a sizable amount of money on it. Was thinkin’ of tryna swipe it for myself to be honest, but they seemed to know that a bribe would be necessary. You get us through without usin’ this, and I’ll give you what you asked for _and_ fifty percent of what’s on this.” 

“And if I don’t?” Yunho asks even though he’s confident it won’t be necessary. He knows his way around the border patrol plenty. 

“Then I’ll still hook ya up with a Fixer I know and you get fifteen percent. We gotta deal?” 

Yunho holds in a snort. Jongho probably thinks he wins either way, but Yunhoo gets extra from this deal. “Deal,” he agrees. “Get that thing into my trunk. Got something in there that’ll help.” He turns to head out of the trailer, trudging over to the back of his car to pop the trunk of his Thornton hatchback. 

Jongho appears a few moments later, grunting as he sets the heavy box down on the trunk bed. He pauses when catches sight of a sniper rifle neatly tucked in the back. So Yunho had been packing more weapons. And nice ones at that too. Jongho can’t help but admire the tech gun as Yunhoo pulls out a slightly larger black container. “Put it in here,” he orders as he lifts the lid of the container and motions to the box with the very obvious Arasaka logo on it. 

“The hell is this?” Jongho asks as he does as Yunho requested. He lifts the cargo up to place it into the container. Yunho covers it with the lid right afterwards. 

“Metal container.” Yunho reaches up to grab the trunk door, pushing it down to slam it closed. “Simple as shit but confuses the hell out of inspection every time. Their radio scanners will just pick up the fact that we’re transporting something in this. Won’t flag that it’s Arasaka tech.” Wiping his hands against each other, Yunho makes his way back over to the driver’s seat, eager to get this gig done and over with.

“That’s awesome!” Jongho scrambles around the side of the car to slip into the passenger side. “They don’t know about this trick?” 

Yunho shrugs his shoulders as he turns on the engine. “It’s an old Nomad trick. Far as I know, badges are still too stupid to pick up on it. That or they just don’t give a damn.” 

“Probably a mixture of both.” 

“Well,” Yunho adjusts the air conditioner as he turns the car around. “Should get us through without any trouble.” 

  
  
  
  
  


Yunho isn’t sure what kind of mercenary Jongho is but clearly running merchandise isn’t one of his strong suits. That much is obvious by the fact that he hired Yunho to finish transporting his cargo to the client, but made doubly so by the way he fidgets in his seat and bites down on his thumb as he stares at the checkpoint just ahead of them. It seems odd for a mercenary to be this wound up about a job, but then Yunho reminds himself that he’s got Arasaka merch sitting in the trunk of his car and, yeah, Jongho’s nerves suddenly make a little more sense to him. 

Still, Yunho sinks into his seat and moves forward when the line of vehicles inches forward ever so slightly. “Can you chill?” he asks, casting a glance over to Jongho. 

“You think this is gonna work?” Jongho shoots back. 

Yunho furrows his eyebrows together at his words. “Exactly what was your plan before? You even swiped a bribe from your client.” 

Jongho shrugs as he nervously eyes their surroundings, clearly looking for any alternate escape routes or a contingency plan. It’s honestly rich coming from the guy sitting in the passenger seat. “Dunno. Honestly figured we’d just blast through the checkpoint n’ outdrive them. You are a Nomad. That way I could keep the credchip.” 

Sighing, Yunho tightens his grip around the steering wheel and pulls forward until they’re second in line to be scanned. He has confidence in his own driving ability, of course, but there was a time and place for those kinds of maneuvers and now wasn’t one of those times. “It’d be best not to draw attention to ourselves,” he answers lowly, gaze flicking over to the two officers patrolling the checkpoint. “ _Relax_. You’re looking too damn sus.”

Jongho finally manages to relax in his seat when Yunho reaches across the console and into the glove compartment. “You got any papers with ya?” he asks as he digs through his various IDs before settling on the one that was least likely to draw any attention to himself. He scans it over quickly before shutting the glove compartment close and sitting up. 

Jongho draws a folded piece of paper from his coat pocket, handing it over to Yunho. The Nomad unfolds it and gives it a cursory once over. Looked legit enough. Patrol is unlikely to notice the inconsistencies with it so long as they didn’t give them a reason to look more closely. 

“Next vehicle pull forward!” One of the officers says as he motions for Yunho to pull up. Yunho does as he’s directed, throwing the car back into park when they reach the first of the checkpoints. 

“Performing vehicle scan,” a robotic voice announces as a drone hovers next to the car. Yunho keeps his body language as relaxed as he can manage as the drone scans his car. Next to him, Jongho presses his lips into a thin line as he stares down at his lap, forcing himself to seem uninterested in the process. “Scan complete. Cargo located. Packages unidentified.” 

One of the officers approaches Yunho’s window and bends down as the Nomad rolls it down for him. “Whatcha got back there?” he asks. 

“Just a standard delivery.” Yunho flashes the ID for Kiroshi Optics. “Shipments for a hospital in Wellsprings.” 

The officer squints at the ID card but doesn’t ask for it. “Kiroshi hiring Nomads to transport their goods now?” he asks curiously. 

“Sometimes,” Yunho responds with a shrug. “For longer haul journeys it’s pretty normal. Cargos coming from a factory out on the east coast. Picked it up in the midwest to finish the route for them.” 

The officer nods, easily falling for Yunho’s lie. “Take the paperwork in for inspection.” 

“‘Course.” Yunho rolls up his window and glances over to Jongho. “Stay here. Keep quiet. If they ask you’re helping me with the long haul drive.” He holds his hand out for the credchip which Jongho reluctantly hands over. Yunho can’t help but wonder how much is on here that the mercenary so desperately wants to keep it. 

“I got it.” Jongho waves him off as Yunho opens his door and climbs out. “Try to save it if you can!” he calls out in reference to the credchip.

The officer points him in the direction of the office, but Yunho waves him off. He’s been through these checkpoints plenty at this point, and he knows exactly where he’s going. He opens the door of the inspection office and only has to glance at the clerk who immediately waves him down the hall.

“Room six,” the man says as he motions Yunho through. “Should be on your left.” 

Yunho saunters down the hall to room six which he enters. An inspection officer is sitting at a table, and she motions for Yunho to take a seat as she holds her hand out for his paperwork. Yunho hands over the papers Jongho supplied him with as well as his forged Kiroshi ID card. The credchip sits heavy in his pocket as a last resort should she prove too stubborn. 

“What are you transporting?” she asks, unfolding the paperwork to give it a cursory glance. 

“Just a shipment of optical implants.” Yunho sighs as he flops down in the metal fold out chair on the other side of the table, watching the officer pick up his ID to take a look at it as well. She takes longer than Yunho is used to, and he fingers the seam of his pocket. He might need to use the credchip after all. Would be a waste for him and Jongho, but Yunho doesn’t care. His priority is getting into the city right now. He’s not going to let some dumbass officer at the checkpoint stop him. 

“Paperwork’s missing some things,” she notes, glancing at Yunho over the top of them. 

He merely shrugs his shoulders, trying to play it innocent. “Not my problem if the company didn’t dot all their i’s and cross all their t’s. I’m just trying to transport the goods. I can sit here and wait for you if you wanna give ‘em a call and get the paperwork sorted out to your _satisfaction_.” He folds his hands behind his head, leaning back against the chair and crossing one leg over the other as he settles in for a long waiting period. 

It’s a bluff that Yunho figures will work in his favor either way. She’ll either give in, figuring that the whole thing will be too much of a hassle or she’ll try to do things by the book at which point Yunho thinks a hefty bribe might sway her favor.

Ultimately, she tosses his ID and paperwork back to him with a sigh and waves him off. Yunho bites back a grin as he reaches forward to take them both. “Thanks for your time,” he drawls before leaving room six to head back to his car. 

From the passenger seat he can see the way Jongho is looking at him all eager like a puppy waiting for its master to come home. If he had more animalistic implants, Yunho is pretty sure his tail would be wagging. The officers wave him forward once Yunho is back in the car, and they pull through the checkpoint without incident. 

It’s then that Yunho relaxes his grip on the steering wheel and sits back in his seat. He can see Night City’s skyline extending towards the sky and piercing through the clouds. Next to him, Jongho is practically vibrating in his seat. “So?” the young mercenary asks when he can’t take the suspense anymore. “We got through without a hitch. Did ya keep the credchip though?” 

Yunho digs through his pocket, procuring the small black and green chip and hands it over to Jongho who squeals in delight. “You kept it!” He snatches the credchip from Yunho’s hands and holds it up like it’s the key to heaven itself. “Even if we split this n’ half the amount of eddies I’d get from this _and_ the gig will last me a solid few months! Man, I could kiss ya.” 

“I told you I was your best chance to get shit ‘cross the border,” Yunho says confidently. 

“Definitely worth the investment,” Jongho agrees. “If ya stop by a Drop Point machine I’ll cash it out ‘n give ya your half of it. Rest of the gig will be paid out once it’s turned in ‘n I get my eddies from my Fixer.” 

“Sounds fair.” Yunho squints and cocks his head when he sees what appears to be a small caravan of black vehicles pulled off to the side of the road in the distance. An inexplicable feeling of dread settles in his stomach. He tries to suppress the feeling, keeping his car at a steady speed as they approach. They’re not badges. As they draw closer Yunho can see the Arasaka logo on the side of one of the cars. 

“The hell are they doing out here?” Yunho tightens his grip on the steering wheel and resists the urge to slam down on his brakes. It’d only draw attention to their vehicle. 

“Just drive by and don’t make eye contact,” Jongho suggests. “Lately, the Arasaka goons haven’t trusted the border patrol. They’re probably here for their own security measures.” 

Yunho draws in a deep breath and forces himself to relax. Right. They can’t force a checkpoint and how exactly would they know that Yunho’s carrying stolen Arasaka merch? His nerves build up when he sees a bunch of them suddenly scramble for their cars after catching sight of his. Shit. 

“You on a watch list of theirs?” Yunho asks as he presses his foot down on the gas pedal, trying to speed past them before they have a chance to give chase. That’s the plan at least, but the Arasaka employees tear onto the road right behind him. 

“Dunno.” Jongho yelps and throws his hands out to steady himself on the dashboard when Yunho swerves the car. His stomach flips a little when the Nomad pushes his car to a higher and higher speed. He’d never really been one for those shitty street races Mingi liked to participate in. “Not like I’m privy to their personal information. How do ya figure it’s me anyways? What if it’s _you_ they recognized?” 

“I ain’t ever messed with Arasaka before,” Yunho defends. “Did legitimate business with corpos before this.” 

Jongho looks over his shoulder to glimpse at the cars riding just on their tailgate. “Fine. So it probably is me then,” he admits before another yelp escapes him when the car jostles violently again. 

“Fucking perfect.” Yunho glances at his rear view mirror before scanning their surroundings. There was still a lot of open land before they hit the city limits and the roads are still rough. He glances back at the cars in his rear view mirror again. They’re not luxury cars by any means, but they’re definitely not the kind of rugged off road vehicles used by Nomads. They’re not like the car Yunho has which means he has an advantage. 

“Try and keep up with me,” he mutters under his breath before glancing in Jongho’s direction. “Hold on. Things’re ‘bout to get bumpy!” He turns the wheel, turning the car off the road and down towards what looks like an agricultural district. 

“Oh, fuck!” Jongho’s voice vibrates along with the car as they drive over dirt and rocks. A particularly hard bump jolts him into Yunho’s side. “You’re a fuckin’ gonk!” 

“Oh, I’m sorry. You want me to pull over for them?” Yunho bites back sarcastically. Jongho grimaces as his ass continuously slams into the seat uncomfortably. “Damn. They’re keeping up better off road than I woulda thought.” 

Jongho cranes his neck around to look behind them and winces at the strain it puts on him. Although further behind them now, the Arasaka vehicles remain in sight. “What do we do?” He looks to the Nomad for guidance. 

“You’re a merc. Don’tcha got a gun on you or something? Anything to slow ‘em down?” Jongho fumbles with his person, slipping his gun out from his pants waistband. “Try and blow out their tires!” Yunho advises as Jongho rolls down the window and leans out the car with his pistol in hand. 

It’s considerably harder to aim with the bumpy ride, but he admits that Yunho does an exceptionally good job with driving. When one of the cars pulls up just next to his bumper, Yunho baits them too close to a building before he abruptly turns, his off road vehicle having much more maneuverability than the sleek SUVs the Arasaka agents use. The car spins out when it tries to 180 and turn around. 

“Dude, nice!” Jongho exclaims, lifting his pistol up to aim at the second car. 

“Thanks, but could you get rid of our second tail?” Yunho calls out. 

“I got it. Don’tcha worry!” Jongho holds his aim steady before firing off two rounds. He hits one of the front tires with ease, the car immediately swerving before it crashing into a nearby fence. Grinning to himself, Jongho ducks back into the car. “See? Took care of it.” 

Yunho glances into his rear view mirror again but seems satisfied when he realizes there’s nobody on their tail anymore. He drives the car back up to the paved road for a smoother ride while Jongho cheers beside him, the pain in his ass already forgotten. 

“A’ight, you’re pretty fucking good.” Jongho slaps him on the shoulder which Yunho shrugs off with a frown. 

“Nomad,” he reminds the younger man curtly. 

“Yeah, but still. Didn’t expect _that_ when I hired a Nomad. Forget everything I said before. I’ll hook you up with the best of the best Fixers I know. Say, whaddya think ‘bout having a partner?” 

Yunho glances over to the mercenary in his passenger seat and swallows thickly. Partners? Didn’t sound so different from having a clan. A small one, but a clan nevertheless. “So long as you play nice,” he agrees. Jongho punches him on the arm while throwing his head back to laugh. 

And so they became partners. 

  
  
  
  


Six months in, Yunho can say he’s fairly well adjusted to Night City. It helped to have someone like Jongho by his side to guide him through the ins and outs of navigating the streets, of not just getting around the city but how to get by. He taught Yunho who to avoid, what Fixers to take gigs from, how to walk the streets without being bothered. He helped set Yunho up in an apartment as well, found one that was cheap enough to afford. It’s small and unclean and the hot water is finnicky as hell, but it’s still somehow better than the tents and abandoned buildings Yunho was used to setting up with on the road. 

Yunho takes the stairs two at a time as he descends to a basement level shop. There’s a ripperdoc here that Jongho had introduced him to after the blond had admitted he lacked a smartlink for his rifle one time when Jongho was complimenting him for the tech weapon. He’d simply found it in an old abandoned town that his clan had stripped clean for parts and materials. The sniper rifle had been Yunho’s prize. 

Jongho knew Seonghwa pretty well although he wasn’t the only ripperdoc the mercenary was willing to visit. However, he told Yunho that he did pretty quality work for a ripperdoc. “He’s fixed plenty of busted implants I got from other hacks,” Jongho answered with a shrug when Yunho asked. “What’d you have in the Badlands?” 

“Something between a certified surgeon and ripperdoc?” Yunho guessed. “Our medtechs were often trained in big cities, but they definitely weren’t _professional_.” 

“Well, I’ve no clue where the fuck Hwa trained, but he’s prolly the best ripperdoc I know.” 

Yunho had since refused to go to any other ripperdoc. He trusted Seonghwa, and, more than that, he liked the man. He’s nice and good at what he does. He opens the door to Seonghwa’s workshop and saunters inside with a little grin on his face because Seonghwa immediately perks up when he sees Yunho. 

“Hey! Been a while,” Seonghwa greets, rolling his chair over to his work table where he grabs a pair of gloves from the box he keeps on the small bench beside it. Then he hesitates and looks at Yunho. “Did you come for a procedure or are you just here to chat?” 

“Nah, I need something done,” Yunho assures him as he makes his way over to Seonghwa’s little surgery table and hops on. 

“What are you looking for this time?” Seonghwa snaps the gloves over his hands. 

“Need my ocular implants replaced.” Yunho lies back on the table, squinting up at the bright light that assaults him when he does. “My vision’s been kinda buggy lately.” 

“Shit. Buggy, how?” Seonghwa asks as he uses his feet to roll his chair closer. “Is it giving out on you? Scanning quality is going down?” 

Yunho shakes his head. “No. It’s probably fine for the average chump, but I think it’s giving out on me. When I use it to scope things aren’t as detailed anymore. Sometimes people look a little fuzzy.” 

Seonghwa hums as he reaches up to pull the overhead lights closer to Yunho and then pulls over one of his monitors before bending down to dig through one of his drawers. “How long has it been since you first got it implanted?” the ripperdoc asks as he pulls out a cylinder. It’s filled with a saline solution, a preservative for the two optical implants floating inside. 

Yunho cocks his head curiously as he stares at the implants with interest. They quite literally look like two floating eyeballs, a cybernetic stem extending from it the only real give away that they were implants and not real organs. The Kiroshi Optics logo slapped over the cylinder is what really catches Yunho’s attention though, his body practically humming with excitement. 

“Few years ago now. My clan’s ripperdoc did it for me. Procedure was fine, I think the implants were just mid-tier quality.” Yunho takes the plug Seonghwa offers out to him, needing no further prompting to jack it into the interface plug at the base of his neck. “They were just some prototype shit we scavenged from an abandoned factory town. Dynalar Tech.” 

“That’s still not bad mileage from something like that though,” Seonghwa remarks as he taps a few buttons on his screen. “Your ripperdoc must have been very good.” 

“Yeah.” Yunho jolts a little when his vision goes dark after Seonghwa disconnects his ocular implants from his neural system. “She was very good.” 

“Well, lucky for you I managed to get my paws on some Kiroshi implants,” Seonghwa says. His voice sounds suddenly louder next to Yunho as the blond patiently waits for a new link to be established. He feels Seonghwa’s hands on his face and startles at the sound of a drill as Seonghwa removes his old implants. No matter how many times Yunho upgrades himself at a ripperdoc, he doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to that noise. 

Seonghwa’s touch leaves him for a moment before it returns. A bit of saline solution drips down onto Yunho’s cheek and he flinches at the feeling before shivering at the cool touch of the implants as Seonghwa sets them into place. “They’re military grade and perfect for a sharp shooter like you,” Seonghwa tells him as he pulls back to plop himself back down in his chair. “They can zoom in on a bird size object up to a kilometer away and they should have a much longer lifespan than that prototype you were using before.” 

“Ah!” Yunho reaches up to cover his eyes when Seonghwa establishes a link to his new ocular implants. They’re assaulted by the bright lights hanging over the ripperdoc’s operating table, and it fucking _hurts_. 

“Sorry!” Seonghwa apologizes as he turns down the lights. “Might take a while to get used to them.” 

“I’m fine,” Yunho assures him, sitting up on the table to gently rub at his eyes. “Forgot what it felt like for a moment there.” He blinks open his eyes, still squinting a little as he adjusts to the lights in Seonghwa’s workshop. However, in spite of the initial pain and watery vision, Yunho can immediately and clearly tell that there is a stark difference in the quality of these implants. 

His vision is definitely sharper than before. Yunho blinks his eyes rapidly as he tries to adjust his vision. It takes a few moments and swiping at his eyes with his fingers to wipe away the excess saline from the corner of his eyes before he’s really able to focus on the superior resolution he gets from these new implants. “Oh fuck.” He blinks a few more times before he focuses on one corner of the floor and tests the zoom capabilities of his new implants. “These are amazing, Hwa.” 

“Kiroshi Optics,” the ripperdoc remarks with a shake of his head. “I suppose they dominate the ocular market for a reason. Anything else you need done while you’re here?” 

Yunho slides his eyes closed to return his vision to normal before he squints again. “Yeah. Was wondering if you could upgrade my Operating System too.” 

Humming, Seonghwa bends down to dig through some of his drawers again, looking through his different cyberdecks and cyberware. “What are you looking for? Increased RAM? More power? Better recovery?” 

“Just want some useful quick hacks,” Yunho answers with a shrug. 

Seonghwa pulls out a blue chip and holds it up for Yunho to see. “I got a Biotechica V.3 chip. Old model but it would be an upgrade from your current one. Has some pretty standard quick hacks already preinstalled. I’ll throw it in for free with the optics if that’s all you’re looking for.” 

“That would be great.” Yunho scoots forward until his legs dangle from the table. “How much for the ocular implants anyways?” he asks. 

“They’re pretty expensive.” Seonghwa stands up, turning Yunho around by his shoulders so he can get easier access to his Operating System at the base of his spine. “I’ll give them to you for a discount though. Because you’re my most loyal patron.” 

“Thanks, Hwa,” Yunho laughs, lifting his shirt up so the ripperdoc can change out the chip for him. 

“You have a gig today?” the ripperdoc asks as he installs the new cyberdeck into the blond. 

“How’d you figure?” Yunho asks, shivering when a tingle of electricity races up his spine. 

“You don’t usually get new upgrades out of nowhere.” It takes less than a minute for it to download, and Seonghwa removes the jack in plug from Yunho’s interface once it’s done, motioning for him to hop off the operating table. Yunho slides off it and onto his feet as Seonghwa requests. 

“We do,” he confirms as he meets Seonghwa’s gaze. The ripperdoc’s eyes glow a luminous blue, matching Yunho’s as the blond transfers money to Seonghwa for his services. “It’s a gig from Hongjoong. Don’t know the details yet, but I’m supposed to meet Jongho over in Kabuki.” 

“Hongjoong, huh.” Seonghwa peels the gloves from his hands and tosses them into the nearby trash bin. 

Yunho can’t help but quirk his lips at the ripperdoc’s response. “Jongho told me I should never mention him in front of you,” he remarks. 

“Jongho needs to stop treating me like I’m a kid when I’m older than him,” Seonghwa sighs. 

“So there is a story there, huh? Between the two of you? Whaddya think of him?” 

“Oh, there’s a story there but nothing too interesting.” Seonghwa waves him off as he cleans up his desk. “Why ask me about him though if you clearly know I’m biased?” 

“It’s because you’re biased that I want to know what you think,” Yunho tells him as he leans back against the operating table. “Worked with him on a number of gigs now. Everything is smooth so far, and I can tell Jongho likes him. I dunno how I feel about him personally though. Should I trust him?” 

Sighing, Seonghwa tosses out the empty Kiroshi Optics container and turns to face Yunho. “From what I hear, he’s doing well for himself as a Fixer. If he’s giving you a steady stream of income, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with working with him.” The ripperdoc shrugs his shoulders. “But trust him? No. He’s a Fixer, and an ex-gang runner. He’ll be trying to protect his own interests first and foremost, and who knows what those are.” 

Yunho nods his head, taking Seonghwa’s words into consideration. “I’ll keep that in mind, but you should know that he’s apparently in the market for information on you.” 

“I’m well aware,” Seonghwa sniffs, not even batting an eyelash at Yunho’s words. “But he’s also smart enough not to ask you or Jongho about me, and I do hope you are also smart enough to keep your lips shut.” 

“Don’t worry.” Yunho smiles at him. “I’m not here to meddle with your relationships.” 

  
  
  
  
  


The apartment is seemingly innocuous enough. It doesn’t look much different from some of the other run down apartment blocks in Kabuki, but this one has been entirely overrun by Scavengers according to Hongjoong. The mere thought of Scavengers causes Yunho’s stomach to churn. There aren’t many people who Yunho is willing to kill no questions asked, but Scavengers were definitely one of them. 

Yunho squints down his scope, doing one more check of his new Kiroshi optics as Jongho answers the holo when Hongjoong finally calls. “Hey, you guys at the location?” the Fixer asks. 

“Yeah. Pretty quiet here.” Jongho looks up at the graffitied building as he tightens his hold on his pistol. “You sure this is the place?” 

“Got good info from a netrunner. The building basically belongs to Scavengers, but the residents who aren’t one of them tend to turn a blind eye and keep to themselves,” Hongjoong says. Yunho makes a noise of disgust in the back of his throat and stands to his feet with his sniper rifle crossed over his chest. “Your target is a girl named Yeri. Her parents were tipped off that something was wrong when her locator implant suddenly went dark. Looks like Scavs were the ones who took her.” 

“Do you think she’s even still alive?” Jongho asks skeptically. Scavengers weren’t exactly keen on letting their victims live very long. 

“Until proven otherwise why not assume?” Hongjoong shrugs his shoulders. “If she’s alive I get paid more which means you get paid more, so better hope so. Either way, her parents both work for Militech and are willing to pay good money to get her back home in whatever condition she may be in. Do that and the contract will be considered complete.” 

“How’d a corpo girl get nabbed by Scavs?” Jongho asks. 

“Don’t know. Don’t care. Just find her,” Hongjoong responds with a shake of his head. “You’re getting paid to save her.” 

“I hate getting paid by corpos, though,” Jongho complains with a small pout. 

“Hey, money out of their pockets and into yours. Quit whining.” 

“Any limits?” Yunho asks, butting into the conversation. 

Hongjoong smirks, already well aware of what Yunho wants. “They just want their daughter back home. Don’t think they care much if the Scavs who took her live or die so feel free to deal with them however you see fit.” 

“Cool.” Yunho traces the trigger of his gun. 

“I took the liberty of taking a little peek into their security system for you. Uploading the info to you now.” Yunho and Jongho’s eyes both flash blue as they download the information Hongjoong provides for them. “Your target is likely on one of the upper floors. From what I gathered, they appear to do most of their harvesting on the twelfth and thirteenth floor.” 

“We’ll want to go in quietly then, huh?” Jongho remarks. 

“Do what you need to do. Call me back once you’re done.” Hongjoong hangs up the call then, leaving the two of them to their own devices. 

“Well, this is probably useless then,” Jongho sighs as he places his pistol back into the holster on his side. He eyes the rifle in Yunho’s hand, taking comfort in the fact that at least his partner will be lethally armed. Yunho’s rifle had a custom silencer on the end of it that made the thing near soundless. It was clearly his pride and joy, and he rarely went on a job without it. “I’ll lead then. You keep an eye out on my back.” Yunho nods his head in agreement and motions for Jongho to go first. 

The lobby is relatively empty save for one man who comes out of the elevator when Yunho and Jongho enter. He casts a quick look in their direction, spies the gun in Yunho’s hands, and quickly ducks his head down as he scurries on past them. Jongho sticks his foot out to catch the elevator doors before they close and they both pile inside. 

Jongho sighs as he fiddles with the control panel in the elevator for a moment. “It’s resident access only,” he announces and looks at Yunho for guidance. Hacking wasn’t really either of their fortes and perhaps the one thing they really were lacking in their team.

“Let me try.” Yunho nudges Jongho aside so he can bend down to look at the control panel. “I doubt it’s that tightly monitored, so I can probably jack in and get us access to the twelfth floor.” 

“Did you get an Override hack?” Jongho watches intensely as Yunho’s eyes glow a warm amber color as he scans the control panel. “When did you get that?” 

“Had Hwa upgrade my Operating System when I was getting my optic implants replaced. Added it to my cyberdeck.” The control panel lights up with a button for the 12th floor, and Yunho’s lips curl up into a smug little smile as he hits the button. With a little jerk, the elevator starts moving, and Yunho steps back from the control panel. “Honestly, I got kind of tired of trying to scale tall buildings to get in whenever we inevitably ran into an issue. Seemed like it was an upgrade that was totally worth it.” 

“Huh. Maybe I should have him upgrade my system too,” Jongho remarks. 

“That, or convince Wooyoung to be our netrunner,” Yunho jokes, knowing that Jongho will shoot him down. “He’s good with computers.” 

“Never in a million years,” the younger man answers. “I like knowing he’s _safe_ in his little studio.” 

Yunho shrugs his shoulders and tightens his grip on his gun when the elevator comes to a stop and the doors slide open. Jongho is immediately on guard as well as he quietly slinks out of the elevator. The little alcove that the elevator is in is empty. Jongho presses himself up against the walls, sinking down onto his knees. Then he carefully and quietly peeks around the corner and down the hall. 

He quickly ducks back around and looks at Yunho who's taken a seat beside him, waiting for Jongho’s direction. “This is def one of the floors they harvest on. There’s a Scav guarding the entrance of the apartment…” Jongho mentally counts the number of doors he’d seen when he peeked, “four doors down on the left if you’re facing him. There’s also a camera at the end of the hall in the top right corner. We gotta take care of both.” 

Yunho nods his head once and unfurls his rifle from his chest. Aiming it at the wall on the opposite end of them, he activates his smartlink. His eyes turn red in color as an estimated beam trajectory of his firearm appears. The red laser aims from his gun to the wall where it ricochets at an angle down the hall where Jongho had been looking. He looks to the younger man for approval. 

Holding his hand up in a signal to wait, Jongho quietly peeks around the corner again to gauge where Yunho’s bullet is likely to bury itself. “You wanna take out the guard first?” he asks when it’s clear that’s who Yunho is aiming for. 

“He’ll hear the camera break if I get it first.” Yunho shrugs. 

Jongho turns back into their corner to hide. “Five degrees higher to get a clean headshot.” He points to the barrel of Yunho’s rifle and crooks his fingers to signal him to lift it up. Yunho follows the directions, adjusting the trajectory of his bullet and then waits again for Jongho. The younger mercenary takes in a deep breath as he considers the shot Yunho has lined up. “Lift it ‘nother ten degrees n’ tighten the angle. Should get the camera too.” 

With a curt nod, Yunho steadies his breath and his hands as he holds his rifle stiff. When he releases his breath he fires two shots in quick succession, following Jongho’s guidance. Both bullets ricochet off the wall and down the hall followed by a crack as the security camera goes out and a thump when the body presumably hits the ground. 

Jongho peeks around the corner before jumping to his feet. “Nice shot as usual,” he compliments as he beckons Yunho to follow him. He’d never really found much use in the fancier tech guns before, but Yunho’s rifle is really starting to grow on him. Jongho has half a mind to challenge Yunho into gambling it off to him. The ricochet effect is certainly a nice touch to sneak up on their victims; Jongho has witnessed Yunho pulling off far more ridiculous shenanigans with his angles before. 

Jongho eyes the body of the Scavenger, careful to avoid the pool of blood spreading out against the floor as he tests the door. Locked. No keypad or code lock in sight. Jongho cracks his knuckles and flexes his fingers, figuring it’s time to put his new gorilla arm implants to the test. Then he digs his fingers between the door and the wall and pulls, forcing the door open as quietly as he can. He holds it open for Yunho who steps over the body to head inside before he ducks in himself and the door slides shut behind them. 

The apartment is stripped bare for the most part, not used for much of anything besides harvesting most likely. These weren’t places for living. These were just covers for the Scavengers to do their dirty business. Jongho winces and rubs at his ears when the bass of a stereo system practically pops his ear drums. “Damn. I woulda thought they heard that but you can’t hear shit in here,” he remarks in reference to the door. 

“This is typical when they’re in the middle of harvesting,” Yunho mutters, shuffling further into the apartment. His eyes remain sharp, darting around for any signs of Scavengers. “Drowns out the screams.” 

Jongho shivers at the Nomad’s words and darts after him. They spot two more people in what would probably have been the living room. Under Jongho’s guidance, Yunho takes them both out with a single bullet before they move on. 

Jongho spots another Scavenger in the next room, bent over a reclined chair, but he isn’t even able to relay that information to Yunho before the Nomad levels the barrel of his gun at the guy’s head and shoots. 

“Damn. You fucking hate Scavs, huh?” Jongho remarks, watching as Yunho stalks into the room. 

“Who doesn’t?” Yunho glances down at the body in the chair before quickly looking away.

“I mean, everyone who isn’t a Scav I guess, but you _really_ hate them. They do something to ya?” 

Yunho doesn’t say anything, just nods to the chair without looking. “This the girl we looking for?” 

Jongho drags his feet on the way over and nearly chokes on his own spit when he sees the body in the chair. “Holy—” He slaps a hand over his mouth and turns away when his stomach churns. He fights down the bile that rises up his throat, refusing to vomit here. He won’t do it in front of Yunho of all people. 

“Feel any sympathy for Scavs now?” Yunho taunts as he checks the rest of the apartment to make sure it’s cleared. 

“Fuck.” Jongho’s hands shake as he forces himself to look at the body splayed out on the chair because it’s a woman’s body and they need to know if this is their target. It’s hard to look though. The body has been utterly _dissected_ , blood and wires spilling out from her open chest. Even her eyes have been taken, leaving behind hollowed sockets. Fuck Scavengers. “No,” he says, quickly turning away as soon as he’s finished scanning the body. “This isn’t her. S’not Yeri.” 

“Place is cleared out,” Yunho confirms. “Hey. There’s an en suite bathroom over here.” 

Jongho leaps over the Scavenger’s dead body to scurry over to Yunho’s side, eager to get out of that room. He stumbles into one of the bedrooms and sees Yunho pointing over to the corner where another door leads to a bathroom. “I’ll check it out, but she might be on the next floor,” Jongho says. 

Nodding, Yunho fiddles with his rifle, reloading it in preparation for another floor they might need to clear out. Only Jongho suddenly cries out in alarm, and Yunho freezes, dreading to know what he might have found. 

“Holy fuck. There are two bodies in here!” Jongho calls to him. 

Yunho hurries over to the bathroom, eyebrows furrowing together when he hears what sounds like _ice_ sloshing around in water. When he enters, Jongho is lifting out a naked male body, wet dark hair sticking to his forehead before Jongho unceremoniously drops him to the floor with a thud. Then he kneels down next to the bathtub to inspect the second body. 

“Oh, thank fuck. It’s her.” Jongho shivers as he reaches into ice water to retrieve the girl’s half-naked body. 

“Check her biomonitor,” Yunho advises as he kneels beside the male body. He presses his fingers against the man’s neck, hissing at the icy temperature of his skin. 

“She’s alive!” Jongho exclaims behind him. “Barely, but—fuck—she’s actually still alive.” 

Yunho just barely registers Jongho’s words in the back of his mind as he reaches down to turn over one of the man’s wrists, searching for his biomonitor as well. It’s only when Jongho starts chanting “whaddo I do?” over and over again that Yunho remembers they still have a gig to complete. “Turn her locator implant back on. If she’s corpo she’ll probably have some kind of Trauma Team insurance. They can take care of it from there.” 

“Right. Right.” Jongho grits his teeth as he rolls her body over, searching for the implant. 

Yunho blinks as he feels along the other victim’s forearm and realizes that there is no biomonitor implant in him. He moves his hands down to his wrist and presses his fingers to the pulse point there, breathing a little sigh of relief when he feels one—faint and weak but there at least. 

“Got it!” Jongho exclaims once he’s turned the implant back on. 

Yunho jerks his hand away from the male’s body. “Take her out onto the balcony. Trauma Team should be here any second.” He shoves his hands underneath the man’s naked body, lifting him up to follow after Jongho. His partner stutters when he sees Yunho carrying the second body, staring at him like he’s lost his mind. 

“The fuck are you doing?” he asks. 

“He’s still alive, and Trauma Team is on their way anyways.” 

“Yeah, but—” The loud jet engines of a Trauma Team AV cuts him off as the vehicle flies by with its sirens blaring. It hovers at the balcony just in front of them and the doors open as heavily armored Trauma Team members jump out. Two of them level their guns at Jongho and Yunho while another two place down a makeshift gurney. 

“Put the girl down!” one of them commands Jongho. 

“Okay, okay!” The young mercenary takes one step forward before he bends down to gently place Yeri’s body on the floor. Immediately the two medtechs who laid out the gurney move forward to pick her up, placing her on it before they move to get her into their aerodyne vehicle. 

“Wait,” Yunho calls out when the other two step back to follow their colleagues. “This guy is still alive and in need of medical attention.” He lifts up the naked body as best he can and moves forward to hand him over only to hesitate when the Trauma Team members quickly level their guns at him. 

The medtechs exchange a look before one of them nods. The other moves forward to inspect the body in Yunho’s hold, and the Nomad waits as he scans him over. “He doesn’t have a biomon on him, but he’s still breathing—” he tries to explain only for the medtech to cut him off. 

“No insurance detected. Zero percent of his treatment would be covered. We’re not taking him,” the man says, turning to motion for his partner to get back into the AV. 

“But—” Yunho can’t even get a word in edgewise because as quickly as they came the Trauma Team evacuates, leaving Yunho there with a half dead man in his arms. 

“Yunho, just leave him. Let’s get something to eat.” Jongho motions for Yunho to set the body down, but the blond refuses. 

“He’s still _alive_.” 

“Yeah, and he’s _corpo_ and not _our fucking problem_ ,” Jongho argues. “You getting paid to save him? No. So don’t waste your time.” 

Yunho presses his lips into a thin line, annoyed by Jongho’s nonchalance even though he knows the younger man has a point. This isn’t the Badlands, and he’s not with his clan anymore. This is Night City. And in this dog eat dog world, death isn’t uncommon. Charity and kindness were uncommon. Survival was the only goal, and sometimes that meant leaving a string of bodies behind in your wake. 

“He’ll flatline—” 

“He’s going to flatline anyways!” Jongho shakes his head, evidently baffled by Yunho’s persistence. “Trauma Team wouldn’t take him, and look at him! He’s barely breathing. What are you going to do, huh?”

Yunho tightens his hold around the freezing body in his arms, feeling the way the cold seeps into his bones. His breaths are barely there, but the only thing Yunho cares about is the fact that they _are_ still there. At least right now. “I’m taking him to Seonghwa,” he announces. 

“ _What_? Yunho, he’s a fucking ripperdoc. He can’t help with this.” 

“Better than nothing.” Yunho turns on his heels to head out of the apartment. 

“Why’re you so hellbent on saving a fucking corpo anyways?” Jongho yells as he follows after his partner. 

“I don’t care what he is. He was taken by fucking Scavs.”

“This is stupid.” Jongho scrubs his face and eyes the body in Yunho’s arm with thinly veiled discontent. “He’s just gonna flatline on Hwa’s table.” 

“Then at least I can live with myself knowing I _tried_.” Yunho turns his sharp gaze to Jongho pointedly, but the younger man is hardly affected. 

“Boohoo if another fucking corpo of this world dies,” he grumbles back. 

Yunho’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t say anything in response to Jongho’s words. “You drive,” is all he says. Sighing, Jongho digs through his pockets for the car keys. 

  
  
  
  


Seonghwa can say he’s honestly startled when Jongho storms through the door of his little basement shop with Yunho hot on his heels and a still body in his arms. The ripperdoc scrambles to his feet as he fixes wide eyes on the two mercenaries. “Wha—” He can’t even formulate a proper question. Yunho rushes over to his table to set the body down while Jongho scoffs and turns to head into the little kitchenette Seonghwa had built into his workshop. 

The ripperdoc trails after Yunho, eyes slowly traveling up the length of the body splayed out on his table, and he wonders, briefly, if this person is even still alive. He’s startled from his thoughts when Yunho shrugs off his black jacket and drapes it over the man’s lower half in an attempt to make him half decent. Seonghwa stares at the blond. 

“What is this?” he finally asks. 

“We found him in an apartment Scavs were using as a makeshift harvesting workshop,” Yunho explains. Seonghwa shivers at those words, throat growing dry immediately. “They were keeping him on ice.” 

Seonghwa grimaces at the implication. They were preserving him. Or his organs and cyberware at least. “Yunho, I’m not... _trained_ for this kind of thing—” 

“You’re the only person I could think of,” the blond cuts him off. “You’re a ripperdoc. Can’t you do _something_?” 

Seonghwa rubs his eyes with his hands before looking over the boy’s body once more. He’s small, skinny, and his skin is so deathly pale. Seonghwa can see the way his chest barely moves as he takes in shallow breaths. Yunho is right. He needs help and desperately. “Okay,” he relents because his heart aches just seeing the pitiful being laid out before him. From the kitchenette, Jongho makes a frustrated noise but otherwise is quiet. 

“What are his stats on the biomon?” the ripperdoc asks. 

“He doesn’t have one.” 

Seonghwa gapes at the blond. “He doesn’t have one?” Yunho shakes his head. “Okay. Just. Make me some coffee, will you? Extra, extra strong please.” 

Yunho nods his head and disappears into the kitchenette as Seonghwa wheels over his tray of tools. Jongho’s sitting at the small table with a can of soda in front of him, looking as annoyed as can be. “Yunho, this is stupid,” his partner says as the blond opens the drawers in search of Seonghwa’s favorite coffee pods. “Are you gonna pay Hwa for his bill too?” 

“He’s corpo,” Yunho points out. “He can pay it himself. Once he wakes up.” 

“If he feels like it,” Jongho hisses. “And if he doesn’t? Ya gonna just foot the bill like a gonk?” 

“Yes.” 

“Yunho!” The blond grabs a coffee pod and slams the drawer shut with a resounding bang. It’s enough to silence Jongho for the moment although he’s far from appeased by Yunho’s answers. Yunho considers it a victory as he busies himself with brewing Seonghwa a cup of coffee. Jongho at least has the decency to wait until Yunho sets aside the cup of coffee before he tries to talk sense into his partner again. “Yunho—” 

“He’s not corpo,” the blond interrupts before Jongho can even speak and finally turns to face the younger man. “Does that make you feel better?” 

“Whaddya mean? You saw what he looked like. He’s _corpo_.” 

“He doesn’t have a biomon and Trauma Team wouldn’t take him because he didn’t have insurance. Doesn’t sound like a typical corporate goon if you ask me,” Yunho responds without missing a beat. 

Jongho taps his fingers against the table, the agitation is obvious by the rhythm. “That still don’t make him any of our business. You should _know_ better,” he snaps. 

“I do. I know.” Yunho crosses his arms over his chest and stares at the grey floor tiles. “Maybe in any other circumstance I would have left him, but those were Scavs—” 

“So what? You personally know him or some shit? You gonna go ‘round saving all the fucking damsels who fall prey to Scavs? You’re wasting your fucking time.” Jongho leans back in his chair and kicks his legs up onto the table. “Scavs suck. I get it. No one fucking likes them, but they exist and they kill people. You can’t save everyone, Yun. Kindness don't buy you nothing in this city. You’ll get _yourself_ killed.” 

“We were already there!” 

“So?” 

Blowing his bangs from his eyes, Yunho stalks over to the table, roughly pulling out one of the chairs across from Jongho and plops himself down. The younger man doesn’t even flinch, just stares as Yunho leans forward to place his hands on top of the table. “There’s a Nomad clan not dissimilar to the Scavs,” the blond explains slowly. “Raffen Shiv. Despicable low lives. They deal in anything and everything including trafficking and black market cyberware. They’d tear you apart for every little valuable piece of you.” 

“They do something to you?” Jongho guesses. 

Yunho presses his lips together in a thin line and glares at his partner from beneath his bangs. “Let’s just say I feel like I made up for it by saving that kid. First and last time if it makes you feel better.” 

Jongho slumps down in his chair and releases a loud noise. “Fine. Make me seem like a fucking asshole,” he complains. Yunho grins, his tense expression finally melting away when Jongho relents. “But seriously though,” Jongho sits up in his seat and reaches out to place his hand over Yunho’s. “Be careful about this. We have no idea who that guy is.” 

“It’ll be fine,” Yunho assures him before pulling his hands away from Jongho. He twists in his seat to look at the coffee he made for Seonghwa. “I should get Hwa his coffee.” 

“I’ll do it,” Jongho says, waving Yunho off when the blond tries to protest. He slips out of his seat and grabs the ripperdoc’s favorite red mug from the counter to bring out to Seonghwa. He pauses at the threshold of the kitchenette, staring at the body laid out on Seonghwa’s table with perhaps an unhealthy degree of suspicion. 

Seonghwa doesn’t pay him any mind as he approaches, gaze fixated on his monitor he hooked the guy up to as he tries to gauge the best course of action. “Your coffee, Hwa,” Jongho mumbles quietly as he sets the mug down on the tray beside all of Seonghwa’s tools. His eyes trail back over to the boy Yunho had rescued, a question on the tip of his tongue. He wants to ask if Seonghwa’s learned anything. Who the guy is or something, but the ripperdoc speaks before Jongho even has the chance. 

“I know you grew up on the streets, Jjongie, but Yunho is different,” Seonghwa says in a low voice so Yunho doesn’t hear them. 

“I know he’s a fuckin’ Nomad, Hwa.” 

“Just remember that the way Nomads think is different.” Seonghwa turns over to his tray of tools, hands hovering for a moment before he plucks a scalpel up with his left hand and his coffee with his right. “Family and clans exist to protect each other. They _love_ each other. It’s a system built on trust and dependence. It’s not like a gang family.” 

Jongho looks at the ripperdoc with a tight expression and says, “It’s not like this guy is his family.” 

“No,” Seonghwa agrees before he takes a long sip of his coffee. “But you also cannot dictate who he considers a part of his family. It’s in his nature to want that even if he left his clan to come here. Why do you think he still works with you? Why do you think I’m the only ripperdoc he comes to even if my workshop is halfway across town?” 

“The fuck is your point?” Jongho snaps impatiently. 

Seonghwa sets his coffee down and looks at the younger man. “Be kind. About his decision and this guy. If you ask me, Yunho has picked well so far, so don’t fight him about this.” 

Jongho sighs, hating the way Seonghwa’s lips curl up into a smile because he knows that he won. “Fine. Just—whatever. Tell us when you’re done. Or if he’s dead.” Jongho spins on his heels and storms back into the kitchenette. 

  
  
  
  


Seonghwa works on his patient for a solid three straight hours before he finally comes into the kitchenette, peeling off a pair of bloody lab grade gloves as he yawns. Both Yunho and Jongho look up from the card game they resorted to playing, and the Nomad immediately tosses his hand aside and stands up, eyes alight with a question. The ripperdoc spares the mercenaries a tired glance before he crooks his finger at them. “Come here. Both of you.” 

Yunho and Jongho follow on his heels as he leads them out to his workshop where the boy is still passed out on his table, black strands of hair splayed out. His chest rises and falls with steadier breaths this time, and Yunho audibly sighs in relief. 

“I gave him a biomon implant,” Seonghwa says first. “Just in case.” 

Yunho nods his head, but Jongho speaks before the blond can get a word in. “So, who the fuck is he?” 

Seonghwa shrugs his shoulders. “Dunno. Won’t know till he wakes up and can give us a name, but I can tell you what I did find out.” 

“Which is?” Jongho prompts, watching Seonghwa like a hawk as the ripperdoc circles around his surgery table to stand by the boy’s head. 

“You’re only half right that he’s a corpo,” Seonghwa says, addressing Jongho. The younger man blinks and furrows his eyebrows together in confusion. How can he be half right about that? Seonghwa looks over to Yunho then. “What do you think?” 

The blond shies away at the question and shakes his head. “I dunno.” 

“Well, what did you observe?” Seonghwa presses. “You brought him here. For a reason a presume. What did you notice?” 

Yunho looks at him and then Jongho and then at the prone body on the table. He sighs. “Honestly, I dunno. He’s...clearly well taken care of. He...looks like he could be a corpo, but he didn’t have a biomon and Trauma Team wouldn’t take him. So maybe he doesn’t actually have money?” 

“Maybe he’s low ranking,” Jongho suggests. “Sucks at saving his money.” 

“No.” Seonghwa shakes his head as he brings his hands up to cup the boy’s face. “He’s heavily modded. Perfectly bio-sculpted. It would cost a small fortune to get even half the implants he has, but most of it is bioware. His owner clearly wanted him to look like a perfect human.” 

“Owner?” Jongho and Yunho echo at the same time. 

Seonghwa’s expression becomes grim as he runs his fingers through the boy’s dark hair. “Yes. Owner. Because he’s not so much a corpo as he is a corpo’s slut. Or was.” Seonghwa gently turns the boy’s head to the side and brushes the hair at the back of his neck away, revealing an interface plug there. “He’s got a chip in here,” Seonghwa says, moving to the side when Yunho circles around to take a closer look at it. 

“Looks like a behavioral chip, but I’ve never seen one like this before.” Yunho reaches out to touch it only for Seonghwa to smack his hand away, hissing at the Nomad not to touch it. Then the ripperdoc looks at Jongho who’s gone slack jawed since the second Seonghwa had called him a corpo’s slut. 

“No.” The youngest shakes his head in denial. He covers his eyes with one hand and grits his teeth. “Don’t fucking tell me—” 

“It’s a doll implant,” Seonghwa confirms. 

“Doll implant?” Yunho asks. 

“Take it out,” Jongho says harshly. “ _Take it out!_ ” He shoves Yunho aside, reaching out to do it himself, but Seonghwa grabs him by the wrist and shoves him away. 

“I can’t,” the ripperdoc says. “And neither can you. It’s coded so only his owner can remove it. Try and we’ll fry his brain.” 

“Fucking hell!” Jongho yells out, turning around and kicking over one of Seonghwa’s small trash bins in anger. “Fuck!” 

“I don’t get it,” Yunho says, wincing when Jongho upturns a chair. “What is a doll implant? Why is Jongho so angry?” 

Seonghwa sighs, watching as the younger mercenary kicks over another chair before he stalks over to the door. “I’m taking a smoke,” he announces before kicking the door open. The door slams shut followed by a wave of silence as Jongho’s departure is instantly felt. 

Then the ripperdoc turns to Yunho and explains, “Doll implants are used to keep someone pliant. Like a doll.” He swallows thickly when Yunho frowns, clearly struggling to process the implications Seonghwa is trying to spell out for him. “He’s a joytoy,” he finally blurts out, knowing the blond will understand that. “He was someone’s private joytoy most likely.” 

Yunho recoils away from the table, turning around to face the wall. Seonghwa swallows thickly and draws his hands away from the doll’s head. “So...he belonged to someone rich?” Yunho asks after a long pause to gather his bearings. 

“Considerably,” Seonghwa says. 

“But that doesn’t make any sense. I found him frozen half to death in a Scav’s lair. He—they were gonna...” he trails off, eyes widening as a thought suddenly occurs to him. Seonghwa’s pretty sure he knows what the blond just realized. 

“Dolls aren’t generally considered human. People tend to view them as objects. Toys.” Seonghwa closes his eyes, fairly certain he knows what exactly had compelled Yunho to bring him this doll. He knows the blond. Whether he knew it or not, he could probably tell the boy was defenseless, and it was a Nomad’s nature to protect. “A corpo who owns one is most certainly going to view a doll as an object. And when they grow bored or get one that’s newer or better…” 

“They sold him to _Scavs_?” Yunho sounds like he can’t believe it. Seonghwa can’t blame him. The blond has seen a lot of shit in the short time he’s been here, but he’d probably never encountered something like this. “And you can’t take that chip out?” 

“I’d kill him if I tried.” Seonghwa shakes his head. “I stabilized him for now, but who knows what’ll happen when he wakes up. I can’t say how the chip works without doing a scan on it myself.” 

Yunho turns back to face the ripperdoc and the doll laid out on the table. “What do I do?” he asks, glancing down at the doll agin. “I don’t—what should I do with him?” 

Seonghwa looks down at the doll. “Well,” he draws away from the boy and looks up at Yunho, “you can take him in for now and figure out what to do once he wakes up. Or…” 

“Or?” 

“You could sell him.” 

Yunho looks like he’s going to be sick. “I just saved him from Scavs!” 

“Not to Scavs.” Seonghwa shakes his head. “You could sell him to a playhouse. He’s a doll. A really well maintained doll with an implant and everything. They’d take him in a heartbeat and probably give you good money for him too. There’s probably quite literally nothing else he can do, and it’s not like you’d be selling him to people interested in killing him for parts.” 

“I—” 

“It’s up to you. You brought him here.” Seonghwa shrugs his shoulders and tries to keep himself from looking affected. He doesn’t think Yunho will do it, but Seonghwa isn’t sure if he’ll ever be able to look at the blond the same if he sold the doll. 

Yunho is quiet for a prolonged moment, not because he’s actually considering Seonghwa’s suggestion but because he can’t fucking believe it’s even an option. He knows joytoys are a thing, but he’s never thought that they were _sold_ into that position. That there was an implant that existed that made obedient and pliant to a customer. “I’ll take him back to my place for now,” he says numbly. 

Seonghwa releases a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and nods his head in agreement. “Okay. I don’t know how long we can expect him to be out, but bring him back once he wakes up. I want to keep an eye on him.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yunho learns something unexpected and the doll wakes up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of this universe....haha

Yunho finds Jongho sitting on one of the steps just outside of Seonghwa’s door with a half smoked cigarette hanging loose between his fingers. Glancing down at the litter of old cigarette butts on the ground, Yunho couldn’t accurately tell how many Jongho had previously. When he spots Yunho, though, he offers up his current one to the Nomad. It’s tempting, but Yunho ultimately shakes his head.

Not right now. 

With a sigh, Jongho drops it to the ground and stomps on it with his foot. 

“So?” the younger man prompts, casting Yunho a quick glance before he averts his gaze. “Whaddya gonna do with the doll?” 

Despite already knowing what he intends to do next, Yunho says, “Seonghwa mentioned we could sell him to a playhouse. Without a way to remove that doll implant he doesn’t seem optimistic that he’ll be able to do much of anything else. It would be better than selling him back to Scavs so he could be picked apart.” 

Jongho glares at him sharply before quickly averting his gaze. “Don’t seem like the type of thing you’d do,” he grumbles. 

“You seem really upset.” Yunho scoots a little closer to his partner, carefully approaching him the way one might approach a scared cat. “Ever since you found out about the doll implant you’ve seemed angrier than usual. Don’t seem like the type of thing that you’d get upset about,” Yunho echoes his own words back at him. Jongho’s nose curls up in annoyance at him for that, and he huffs. “Figured you’d tell me to go ahead and sell ‘em. At least get some eddies off of this. Pay off Seonghwa and make a profit.” 

“I mean if that’s what you wanna do.” Jongho scrambles to his feet and turns to head up the stairs. 

“I’m not gonna,” Yunho calls out to stop Jongho. It works. The younger man stops, shoulders still tense as he slowly turns to face his partner. “Dunno what I’m gonna do with him yet, but I ain’t gonna sell him. Just gonna take him back to my place for now and hopefully figure something out later.” Yunho scratches the back of his head. “Just...was wondering why you hate dolls so much.” 

“I don’t hate dolls,” Jongho snaps defensively before sighing in defeat. He turns so his back is against the wall of the staircase and slumps down. “Dolls are just...a sore spot for me. That’s all.” The blond hums, wondering if that’s it for their conversation, but Jongho, surprisingly, opens up further. “Woo...Woo was a doll once. That’s why I...yeah. I don’t hate dolls. I hate the sick fucks who create and use ‘em.” 

Yunho blinks, caught off guard by Jongho’s answer. “Wooyoung was?” he repeats. He never even suspected. Granted, he hadn’t really realized the vast difference between a joytoy and a doll until only about ten minutes ago. He only knew of Jongho’s boyfriend as a braindance editor of the porn variety. They never much talked about their past.

“Yeah. Met him while he was still working as one,” Jongho confesses. “Some mercs I was runnin’ with at the time took me to the playhouse he worked at.” He casts a furtive look in Yunho’s direction looking _ashamed_. Instinctively, Yunho places a hand on his shoulder, a silent reassurance that he doesn’t look down on Jongho for that. The younger man sighs, but his shoulders relax under the weight of Yunho’s hand. “To be honest, I didn’t think much of ‘em at first. Just figured they were insanely overpriced joytoys who prolly shook their asses better or something.

“But the thing with dolls is that they’re marketed as being able to fulfill all of your desires. And it’s kinda true ‘cause of the behavioral chip they’re implanted with. First night I spent with Woo was fuckin’ mind blowing. It was like he knew exactly what I wanted him to do next.” His fingers twitch at his side, itching for another cigarette, and Yunho wonders just how angry he is right now. “I was stupid back then though. And lonely. Felt like he actually cared about me n’ shit. Kept going back when I had the eddies and feeling the itch for someone warm to fuck and then hold me after.” 

“What happened?” Yunho asked. It’s the most he’s ever heard about their relationship. He’d never known them as anything other than a pretty functional and healthy couple—whatever that meant in Night City at least. 

“I was a wreck one night. Mom passed away in a car accident.” Jongho closes his eyes and tilts his head back. “Went over ‘cause I just wanted some comfort. Didn’t even wanna fuck that night. Just wanted someone to hold me while I cried. It was fuckin’ creepy though. I dunno, something about him that night, ‘cause of the doll implant, it was weird. _Unnatural_. So I safeworded. Never did that before. Didn’t realize what it would do. It stops the implant. They go back to normal, and it was the first time—the first time I even really properly met Woo.

“He didn’t even know who I was. Knew I was a regular from my ID, but there was no distinguishing me from any of the other regulars who would come to see him.” Jongho shakes his head, lips curling over his teeth in disgust. “I didn’t know what the behavioral chip was doing that whole time. I’d basically just been raping him that whole time.” 

“I don't believe that,” Yunho tells him. “You didn’t. You _wouldn’t_. You bought a service.”

“Does that make it any better?” Jongho shakes his head.

“You’re with Wooyooung now,” Yunho points out. “Clearly something changed.” 

“It did,” Jongho agrees, crossing his arms over his chest. “Because in spite of all that shit and not knowing who the fuck I was, Woo still held me while I broke down. He still gave me exactly what I needed n’ I kept going back. Only after that, I’d safe word immediately so he was himself.” 

Yunho’s lips quirk up into a little smile. It’s a bizarre story all things considered. Bizarre for Night City at least. “So that’s how you met and fell in love?” 

“Not really.” Jongho shakes his head and snorts. “We were just friends at first, but I really liked him. Tried to convince him repeatedly to leave his job. Hated the thought of all the fucks who used him while he was under the influence of his behavioral chip. I hated it even more just thinkin’ bout what he was like with each of ‘em, but he didn’t want to leave. Not without another job lined up. Took me a year before I was able to land him that braindance gig, and he’s good at it.” He shrugs his shoulders. 

“Anyways, that’s why. I don’t have nothing against dolls, but the idea that some fuckin’ corpo just made him, used him, and then abandoned him to Scavs when he was finished…” Jongho makes a noise of disgust in the back of his throat. “Who knows what they were planning to do with him anyways? His parts are worth a fortune, but he’s also a pretty doll. Wouldn’t have been surprised if they were saving him for some sick BD they wanted to film.” 

Yunho’s own stomach churns at the thought. “You think they wanted to film a snuff with him?” 

“Wouldn’t shock me,” Jongho growls out, hands digging through his pocket in search of another cigarette. Fuck this. He can’t take it anymore. “It’s not like there’s any proof out there, but Woo used to say that many of the dolls who retired might have ended up in that situation. It was a rumor among them that broken dolls got sent to Scavs and used for sick and twisted BDs. Dunno if it’s true or if they just used it as a way to keep dolls in line. And Scavs will do anything for a quick buck. Making a braindance of their fuckin’ operation don’t seem like such a stretch to me.” 

“Then I guess it’s a good thing that I saved him.” He plucks the cigarette Jongho pulls from his case and settles it between his lips. The younger man sighs but doesn’t fight him, just waits patiently for Yunho to light it up and take a drag. 

“Who knows? Maybe he would be better off dead by now,” Jongho says with considerably less bite than before. “He might be insanely damaged from all this.” He plucks his cigarette from Yunho’s fingers when the blond offers it out to him.

“Or maybe we gave a doll a second chance at life.” 

Shrugging his shoulders, Jongho turns and trudges up the stairs to the ground level, blowing the smoke out of his cybernetic lungs. “You gonna take him back to your place now? I’ll drive you there if you are.” 

“Yeah.” Yunho pushes himself away from the wall and turns to head back inside Seonghwa’s workshop. “Could you call Wooyoung too? Ask if he has any spare pants. I think he’s about the same size.” 

Jongho waves him off with the hand holding his cigarette. He already has his holo pulled out in the other, and Yunho can only presume he’s calling his boyfriend. 

  
  
  
  


Yunho glances into the back seat one more time as Jongho pulls his Thornton into the parking garage of the Watson megabuilding where he lives. The doll is still passed out and unmoving, but the steady rise and fall of his chest brings the Nomad more comfort. The doll is so quiet and still back there that Yunho can’t help but occasionally feel paranoid that he’ll flatline at any moment in the back of Yunho’s car. He’s a survivor apparently because every time Yunho checks in on his new biomonitor implant, his vital signs stay steady. 

Seonghwa had left him with just one last piece of advice when Yunho had stepped back into the workshop to take him. “Be very careful with him when he wakes up,” the ripperdoc told him as Yunho struggled to wrap his body up with his jacket as best he could, rearranging him so he could pick the doll up. “I’ve no idea what else he’s been through or how much he remembers about his time with the Scavs. He could be feral or docile or anywhere in between, so just be on guard when he wakes up.” 

Yunho had assured him he would be. The last gig had paid out pretty well on top of the few eddies Yunho had been working to save. The cost of this guy’s care would probably eat into that, but Yunho figured he could go a few days without taking on another gig. It helped that Seonghwa had flatly refused his payment, told him to keep his money until they figured out what was up with the doll. 

Jongho parks the car and immediately heads for the elevator as soon as he’s out, his holo already pulled out again. Yunho scrambles after him, picking up the doll from the back seat and carrying him over to the elevator. He passes by a few other people on the way there, but no one even bats an eye in his direction despite the half naked body he’s cradling to his chest. 

They take the elevator up the apartment levels—the 42nd floor to be exact—and Yunho isn’t even surprised when Wooyoung is there, ready and waiting to greet them with a pair of grey sweatpants hung over his arms. “What’s this about?” he asks as soon as Jongho steps out of the elevator. 

“Ask Yunho.” Jongho jerks his head in the blond’s direction as Yunho quickly rushes past them, darting across the hall to the door of his little studio apartment. 

Wooyoung sputters and follows after the Nomad with Jongho trailing behind both of them. Yunho reaches up to place his hand against the keypad of his door. It flashes green before the doors open, and he steps inside. He pays the couple behind him no mind as he heads for the little alcove in the back corner where his bed is, setting the doll down on top of it before he finally turns to Wooyoung, motioning for the man to come closer with a wave of his arm. 

“Can I have those?” he asks, pointing to the sweatpants draped over Wooyoung’s arm. 

“Huh?” Wooyoung looks down at the clothes in his hand. “Oh. Yeah, uh, Jongho asked me if I would bring you a pair.” He holds the pants out for Yunho to take as he directs his attention down to the body on Yunho’s bed. “Who the hell is this?” He points down at the boy before looking over at Yunho who unfolds the sweatpants to inspect them and then Jongho who throws himself down on Yunho’s couch with a loud sigh. 

Wooyoung looks back at the boy when no one answers him, reaching out to uncurl Yunho’s jacket from around his body. He sucks in a sharp breath and climbs onto the bed next to the body as his eyes slowly trail down his form. He reaches out to touch his face, turning his head from side to side before he slides his fingers down his neck, over his shoulders and to his chest. 

“We don’t know,” Yunho finally answers as he crawls onto the bed next to Wooyoung. “Found him barely alive during our last gig.” He grunts as he works the doll’s legs through each of the pant legs, shimmying them up to his hips. 

“He’s a doll,” Wooyoung breathes out. From the couch, Jongho sighs loudly. 

Yunho freezes and looks at him. “You can tell?” 

With a shrug, Wooyoung moves his hands down further to the doll’s small waist, holding him there for a moment. “I work with plenty of joytoys and dolls. I know one when I see one.” Then he looks up at Yunho with a wry smile. “You should let me have him for a day. I could film him and Jongho. I bet tons of people would pay good money to be able to play a BD where they get to fuck a doll like him.” 

“You’re not using him for a braindance,” Yunho deadpans as he slides off the bed. 

“Oh, you’re no fun.” Wooyoung sticks his tongue out at the Nomad’s back. 

“Woo,” Jongho calls him from the couch. “Don’t. Yunho picked him up from a Scav lair.” 

With a hiss, Wooyoung pulls his hands away like he’d been burned, staring at his boyfriend with wide, terrified eyes. “You did?” he whispers. 

“Yeah.” Jongho sits up from the couch and watches as Yunho makes his way over to his closet, pulling an old T-shirt from his drawer. “Yun doesn’t know what to do with him yet, so he’s staying here till he wakes up at least.” 

“Shit.” Wooyoung scrambles off the bed, cowering away from the Nomad when he returns. “Sorry. Just thought he was a doll you picked up.” 

“Don’t worry ‘bout it.” Yunho slips the shirt over the doll’s head, pulling it down to cover his chest before he rearranges him on the bed into a more comfortable position. “I know you didn’t mean nothing by it.” 

“We should go, Woo,” Jongho tells him, trying to coax his boyfriend from the apartment even though he knows Wooyoung’s interest and concern has been piqued. He stares at the doll on Yunho’s bed, clearly reluctant to leave. “I’ll buy you something at one of the food stalls on the first level,” Jongho tries, reaching out to play with Wooyoung’s small ponytail. 

That seems to catch Wooyoung’s attention, at least for a little bit because he turns to look at Jongho for a second before he looks back at Yunho again. “Did he come from a playhouse?” he asks, unable to stop the quiver in his voice. 

Yunho pauses but doesn’t turn to meet his gaze. His fear suddenly means something to the blond now that Yunho knows what he used to do before becoming a braindance editor. “We don’t know,” he finally repeats again. “We can speculate, but there’s no way of knowing unless he tells us himself, and he’s been out this whole time.” 

Jongho rolls over the back of the couch to sidle up behind Wooyoung and wraps his arms around his waist and adds, “Hovering’s not going to help him either.” He presses a kiss to the back of Wooyoung’s neck, just above his interface plug. “We should go for now. I’m sure Yunho will let you know when he wakes up.” The blond nods his head in agreement with Jongho’s words, and Wooyoung finally moves when Jongho coaxes him over to the door. 

“Tell me if you need any help,” Wooyoung suddenly blurts out when the front door slides open. “I—I have a lot of experience with people like this, so if you need any help just...let me know.” 

Yunho nods his head, certain he would be contacting Wooyoung again in the near future and grateful that the editor lived only two doors down. “Yeah. I will. Thanks, Wooyoung.” 

With a nod, Wooyoung finally allows himself to be pulled from Yunho’s apartment, turning around to face Jongho when the younger man grabs him by the hand. “Wait.” He digs his heels into the ground when Jongho tries to pull him over towards the elevators. Jongho stops in his tracks, looking at his boyfriend curiously. “Can we eat later? Right now, I just,” he tightens his grip around Jongho’s hand and tugs him in the opposite direction. “I need something else,” he whispers. 

Jongho stares at the way Wooyoung’s body trembles, and it takes him a stupidly long time to understand what his boyfriend is asking for. “Yeah,” he croaks out because he hadn’t really expected it either. He figured Wooyoung would be upset when he realized that Yunho brought back a doll. He also knew there was no way he could have hid the fact. Wooyoung had been in the industry for a long time before Jongho ever came along. He could spot a doll without even trying. 

With a little nod, Wooyoung leads Jongho back down the balcony to his own apartment unit. 

  
  
  
  


Wooyoung’s apartment is almost a mirror to Yunho’s with the only real difference being that Wooyoung had reshaped the one private little room cordoned off by a door into his own braindance editing studio. Yunho used his more like extra storage. Jongho can see all the lights from his monitors and equipment illuminating through the window of the door but doesn’t even get a chance to ask Wooyoung what he was working on before his boyfriend slips his jean jacket from his shoulders and pulls his shirt over his head. 

Jongho lifts his arms up to help him before wrapping them around Wooyoung’s waist, pulling him in close enough to catch his lips in a kiss. Wooyoung moans, threading his fingers through Jongho’s vibrant red hair, tugging him forward to press their lips together harder in a bruising kiss. Jongho doesn’t complain, allowing Wooyoung to take the lead as his hands roam over his boyfriend’s body. 

Wooyoung rolls his hips forward and presses his body flushed to Jongho’s, holding them there for a moment before he pushes the red head away from him. Panting, he pushes Jongho backwards in the direction of the bed as he yanks his own tank top off before fighting with the button of his jeans. 

“You sure this is what you need right now?” Jongho sits down on the bed before tugging Wooyoung forward by the hem of his pants. He swats the older man’s hands away before he unfastens Wooyoung’s jeans on his own, slipping his hands inside the waistband of his pants and underwear before running them down his legs, pulling the last of his clothing off with it. 

“Yeah.” Wooyoung breathes out as he curls his fingers into Jongho’s hair again and steps out of his pants, kicking them to the side. “Just needa remind myself I’m not there anymore. ‘M not a doll anymore.” He pulls his boyfriend in close, sighing at the feel of soft lips running down his chest, over his stomach, to his hip where Jongho sucks a harsh bruise in. Wooyoung’s cock twitches in interest, not quite hard but definitely getting there. “Fuck,” he whispers. 

“Woo, you haven’t been one in years now,” Jongho murmurs against his hip before licking over the dark mark he left there. He wraps his other hand around the head of Wooyoung’s half-hard cock, playing with it until his cheeks are flushed and his cock is fully erect, a pearl of precum beading at the slit. “You’re safe.” He licks the tip of Wooyoung’s cock, lapping up the precum before sealing his lips around the head to suck on it. 

Wooyoung mewls in pleasure and tilts his head back as his eyes slide shut. He runs his fingers through Jongho’s hair, encouraging the red head to keep going. Jongho indulges him, suckling on the head of his cock, working his tongue over the sensitive tip, before he pulls away with a little pop. He presses his lips against the head, red and wet with spit, and he twists his hand around his cock. 

Wooyoung moans high pitched and loud before Jongho pulls back, moving his hand away so he can reach down to undo his own pants. Wooyoung takes a step back and runs his hand through his hair as his chest heaves. Jongho’s eyes trail down his boyfriend’s body, and he licks his lips at what he sees, hurriedly shimmying out of his own pants. 

But then Wooyoung turns around and heads across the room. Jongho makes a noise of confusion in the back of his throat as he watches his boyfriend walk away from him. What? Where is he going? He fists himself and whimpers, desperate to stuff his cock into Wooyoung’s warm body. 

Wooyoung bends down in front of his dresser, pulling open the last drawer where Jongho knows he keeps his underwear. He rifles through its contents, apparently finding what he’s looking for because he closes his fist around something and stands up. He nudges the drawer closed with his foot before making his way back to the bed. 

Jongho scoots back to make space for Wooyoung, reaching over to the little cubby over the head of the bed where Wooyoung keeps a series of miscellaneous items including his lube. Wooyoung climbs into bed and crawls over Jongho’s naked body until he’s straddling his lap. Jongho’s hand smacks against the bottle of lube and it falls off it’s place on the shelf to land on the bed. 

Silently, Wooyoung holds out his fist between them and unfurls his fingers to reveal what he grabbed. Jongho stares at the little black canister in Wooyoung’s hand for a prolonged moment before he lifts his gaze up to meet Wooyoung’s eyes. “Woo—” 

“Just a little,” Wooyoung says quickly, cutting Jongho off. “You don’t have to, but I’m taking a hit.” 

The red head slaps a hand down on top of the device, holding Wooyoung’s hand still and preventing him from bringing it to his mouth. “Why? Am I not good enough?” 

“You’re more than enough,” Wooyoung assures him. He curls his fingers up to run them along the inside of Jongho’s wrist. “But I need help to get into a good headspace and I want to be ruined.” 

Jongho tries to grab the Black Lace from Wooyoung’s hand, but the older man holds it firm and refuses to give it up. “I can do all that for you,” Jongho assures him. “Without a drug. I can do it, Woo.” 

“I know you can.” Wooyoung leans forward to catch Jongho’s lower lip in a shy kiss. He nibbles and sucks on Jongho’s lip before pulling away again. With his free hand, he reaches up to cup Jongho’s cheek. “I know you can, but today is different.” 

“Why? Because of that doll? Woo—”

“You found him in a Scav lair,” Wooyoung cuts him off in a trembling voice. “Broken. And he’s with Yunho right now because he wasn’t your target, was he? No one cared about him. About what would have happened to him. I could have been him. I would have been him if I’d stayed at Euphoria.”

Jongho draws the older man in with a hand on his hip and presses his forehead against Wooyooung’s shoulder as he struggles over whether or not to release his grip on his boyfriend’s hand. “Don’t say those things. That was never going to happen to you.” 

“Because I met you!” Wooyoung bursts out. “Because you were stupid enough to put everything into pulling me out.” 

“That wasn’t stupid.” He litters a series of kisses along Wooyoung’s shoulder and collarbone, working his way towards his neck where he sucks another hickey into the base of his neck. 

“I was a doll,” Wooyoung sighs and tilts his head to the side, allowing Jongho better access. “I wasn’t worth anything, Jongho. You and I both know that. Not as a human. You’re the one who gave me value when you decided I was worth the trouble.” He takes the hand at his hip and guides it over to the fallen bottle of lube. He pumps a generous amount onto Jongho’s fingers and helps generously coat them. It’s obvious what he wants. 

“Woo, don’t say that.” Jongho slides his slick hand over Wooyoung’s ass, between his cheeks before slipping two inside him at once. Wooyoung jerks forward with a little gasp, steadying himself with a hand on Jongho’s shoulders. 

“I have to,” he pants out, wiggling his hips and pushing back on Jongho’s fingers. “I have to so you understand. I love you, Jongho. You’re the most important person in my shit life. You’ve done everything for me, but I also know you. I know that if it had been anyone else but Yunho that doll would have been left behind.” Jongho fucks his fingers into Wooyoung harshly, pulling a gasp from him, and he’s ashamed to think he’d done it just to stop his boyfriend from talking. 

“I’m not saying that you would have been wrong to do that, or that I’m even mad at you for thinking it. Ah, fuck!” He pushes his knees further apart to spread himself and juts his hips out, gasping at the feel of Jongho’s fingers in him. “Yuyu is just the only one nice enough and dumb enough to save garbage like a tossed joytoy.” 

“Quit talking ‘bout Yunho,” Jongho growls out as he pushes a third finger in along with the rest. 

“Sorry.” Wooyoung plants a kiss on Jongho’s mouth in apology. “I just...saw that doll and all those fears come back. So please.” He tugs his hand out of Jongho’s, the red head no longer fighting him as he brings the beak of the inhaler-like device to his lips. “Just a small one.” 

“Don’t you dare take a full hit.” Jongho twists his fingers inside Wooyoung in a way that has him tensing up in his arms as a lewd sound escapes around the device in his lips. 

“Won’t—I won’t,” Wooyoung pants out. Then he presses the button on the side of the canister, inhaling for less a second before he pulls it from his lips. “Take care of me,” he requests as he falls into the younger man’s arms. Jongho grabs the drug from his hand and blindly flings it across the room, not interested in allowing Wooyoung any opportunity to get it within hand’s reach again. 

The effects are almost instantaneous. Woooyoung shudders in his arms, back arching as his eyes slide shut. It’s undeniably sensual—Black Lace and most other street drugs are incredibly potent—but Jongho still feels a bitter twinge of jealousy that the drug is likely making Wooyoung feel better than he is right now. It’s a common euphoric, used in the sex industry often for it’s pleasurable side effects and increase of stamina. Wooyoung isn’t exactly a stranger to the drug, but he hasn’t used much since Jongho got him out of the business. 

He grabs Wooyoung by the arm and pulls him down to the side, pinning him to the bed as he rearranges his limbs so he has one of Wooyoung’s legs draped over his shoulder. It gives him better access to his entrance. Wooyoung’s cock is painfully erect and red against his stomach, and he looks so pretty with his inky black hair fanned out over his sheets and his legs splayed open for Jongho. 

His eyes are glazed over and unfocused, pupils blown wide, and Jongho knows that Wooyoung won’t be with him again for at least a couple of hours. Jongho knows what Wooyoung wants—no, needs—him to do in that time frame. Adjusting himself on his haunches, Jongho makes sure he’s comfortable before he starts brutally finger fucking his boyfriend. 

Wooyoung’s lips drop open in silent moans, drool escaping to pool into his sheets as his body trembles and moves to the force of it all. It doesn’t take long for him to cum, limbs locking up and back arching as he spurts all over himself. 

Jongho pulls his fingers from his hole, setting Wooyoung’s leg down on the bed and spreading his legs open. It’s the first of many orgasms thanks to the stimulant he took. Jongho takes a moment to slick himself up, taking a deep breath as he tries to think of whether or not he’ll be able to keep up with Wooyoung’s voracious appetite when he’s under the influence. 

He sinks his cock into Wooyoung, hissing at the tight heat that engulfs him and loving the way Wooyoung’s body squirms and moves in response to him. Well, he knows where all his boyfriend’s toys are if he needs to resort to those too. 

  
  
  
  


Yunho shakes his damp hair out, using his hands to pet it down as he walks out of the bathroom and over to his closet. He slips into a clean set of lounge wear before he grabs his silver cigarette case—a gift from Jongho after their first successful gig together—and heads for the window next to his bed. 

There’s a control panel right next to it to control the curtains and window itself. He uses it to open up the blinds, squinting against the bright light of the sun as it shines down over Night City. Yunho sighs at the view—grey and dull despite the sunshine. Night City might not offer the prettiest of views, especially in this district, but it’s still a nice change of view from the sprawling, dry desert outside of the city. 

He hits another button and the window slides open half way, enough so that Yunho can place his forearms against the frame and lean out of it. He pulls one cigarette from the case and places it between his lips. Snapping the case shut, he carelessly tosses it over to his couch before hunching over to light it up. 

Pocketing his lighter, he seals his lips around the cigarette and takes a deep breath. Then he pulls it from his lips and exhales all the smoke. It curls around his face before quickly dissipating into the polluted air. He takes another drag of his cigarette. 

It feels oddly quiet in the apartment despite the extra person. Yunho’s never felt such a deafening silence in his apartment before but maybe it’s because he’s never had a stranger in his apartment before. 

His cigarette is half gone when his holo rings from the coffee table. The ringtone is jarringly loud in the quiet apartment. Yunho looks over at it, contemplating if he even wants to answer, then looks over at the prone body lying on his bed. With a sigh, Yunho takes another smoke and pads over to his coffee table to snatch up the device. 

“‘M not taking any gigs for the next few days,” he says as soon as he answers, bringing the device back over to the window so he can finish smoking without stinking up his place. 

Hongjoong’s face is filled with amusement as he eyes the Nomad. “Already rejecting me without even hearing me out?” he feigns hurt. “Thought I was your favorite Fixer.” 

“Nah.” Yunho flicks his cigarette to get rid of the excess ash before he takes another hit. “You just hook me up with the steadiest stream of gigs.” 

“Fair.” Hongjoong crosses his arms over his chest. “Why aren’t you interested in taking a job for the next few days? Last one tire you out?” 

Yunho can’t stop himself from looking over to his bed, and Hongjoong notices even if he can’t see its occupant. “Something just came up,” the blond answers vaguely. “Can’t really leave my place for now.” 

“Well, then. Lucky for you I’m offering you a job that isn’t time sensitive.” 

Yunho’s ears perk up, and he’s undeniably interested. “A’ight. I’m listening.” Having reached the butt of his cigarette, Yunho flicks it from his fingers, watching it disappear below the thin layer of pollution that settles up this high as it falls to the earth. He contemplates taking out another one. 

“Just looking to gather some info,” Hongjoong tells him. 

Ah, but he tossed his cigarette case aside, and Yunho kind of doesn’t want to move from his spot. “On?” 

“Didn’t think you even needed to ask. Want info on your favorite ripperdoc, Seonghwa. A steady stream so to speak.” 

Yunho glances over to Hongjoong on the holo screen and raises his eyebrows in surprise. “Seonghwa didn’t think you’d be dumb enough to ask me or Jongho,” he remarks. 

“Seonghwa doesn’t know me all that well.” Hongjoong smiles cryptically. “I’d never ask Jongho ‘cause he’d never take the job.” 

“But you think I will?” 

“Don’t have my hopes up, but figured I’d ask.” Hongjoong shrugs his shoulders and maintains his smile. Yunho doesn’t know how to feel about that expression. Hongjoong is a hard one to read. Yunho honestly never knows exactly what he’s thinking. He always figured Hongjoong was money motivated the way most Fixers and most people are, but sometimes he’d leave Jongho and Yunho little bonuses when he was especially pleased with their work and was one of the only Fixers Yunho knew who regularly would ask for things to be done quietly without bloodshed. 

“I’ll pass,” he answers without even needing to think about it. 

“Oh? For a job this easy? And you haven’t even heard how much I’d pay. More than worth it for acting like a harmless mole,” Hongjoong persuades. 

“Don’t care about the eddies. Not gonna take it. Sure you can find anyone to pay to just follow Hwa ‘round if you want.” 

Hongjoong just smiles at him, but Yunho swears for a second that his eyes appear to soften. “A’ight. Suit yourself then. I guess you like your eddies hard earned more than anything.” He shrugs his shoulders again but doesn’t, for one second, sound the least bit disappointed. “If anything else comes my way in the next few days I’ll let you know.” 

“Cool.” But Hongjoong hangs up before Yunho’s last words go through. The Nomad frowns at his holo and wonders what that was all about. 

  
  
  
  


Yunho falls asleep on the couch, since his bed is currently taken, with only a jacket covering his torso to act as a blanket. It’s not hard for him at all, and he sleeps like a baby all things considered. Perhaps it’s a talent picked up from his time as a Nomad. Traveling cross country in search of ever migrating job opportunities, Yunho grew up having to sleep in some of the most uncomfortable positions in some of the most uncomfortable places. His couch was luxurious in comparison to that. 

Life on the road and sleeping in unusual places had also predisposed him to being a light sleeper, so he finds himself pulled from his sleep in the early hours of the morning to the sound of his sheets rustling. The apartment is still dark, not because of the early hour, but because the sun hadn’t risen up enough for any light to filter in through the windows yet. 

Yunho’s eyes slide shut again, determining that the noise was probably nothing and valuing his sleep more. But then he hears bare feet touch the floor, and he cracks his eyes open again. Panicked footsteps race across his apartment, and Yunho sits up on the couch to see the doll fidgeting in front of his door, clearly at a loss of what to do next. 

For a moment Yunho doesn’t say anything. He can’t. He’s honestly just kind of stunned that the kid is awake and moving given the state he’d been in just the day before. “Hey,” he croaks out, voice heavy from sleep. 

The doll squeaks and whirls around to face him. It’s hard to make him out in the dim lighting of the apartment. All Yunho is really able to make out is his silhouette so he snaps his fingers to turn the lights on. The doll makes another panicked noise as he throws his arms over his eyes and crouches down, trying to make himself as small as possible while Yunho stands up from the couch and pads over to him. 

“Hey, where are you trying to go?” he asks the crouched figure. 

“Please,” the doll whimpers, shoulders tensing up when he feels how close Yunho is. “Please, don’t hurt me.” 

“What?” Yunho raises his eyebrows at the request. Where the hell had that come from? 

The doll lifts his head up, eyes darting around Yunho’s small apartment before he suddenly scrambles over to the desk, crawling around it on all fours. Yunho stumbles back a few steps in shock before he reaches out to touch the doll. “Hey,” he calls again. The doll screeches, knees knocking against the floor and hands scrabbling against the sleek hardwood as he scrambles underneath the L-shaped desk, curling himself behind the chair. 

Yunho blinks at the spot on the floor where the doll had been just seconds earlier. What the hell? Shaking himself out of it, he rounds the desk and scans the area for the doll. He freezes in his tracks when he sees the doll cowering behind the desk chair. It’s not a particularly large desk, but the doll folds himself up neatly to fit underneath, looking like a terrified animal as he peers at Yunho with piercing blue eyes. 

They’re optical implants, cosmetic probably. Yunho can tell not just because of the quality—Seonghwa had said that his implants would have cost a small fortune—but because he can tell that they’re just  _ not _ natural. Not on the doll at least. They look realistic enough, no bizarre gimmick or shape to them, and they’re absolutely pretty peering out from beneath dark bangs, but like apparently every other part of this dolls body, they’re just an augmentation. 

“Please!” the doll pleads loudly, pressing himself up against the wall when Yunho takes a step towards him. “Please, whatever implants you can take without flatlining me you can have! Just please, don’t kill me.” 

Yunho pauses. It takes him a moment to digest the doll’s words before he’s hit with a sudden bout of horror and nausea. “What? I’m not—I’m not a Scav!” 

“Please.” The doll’s fingers dig into the seat of his chair, body trembling as he stares at Yunho. “I’ll do anything. Just please don’t kill me.” 

The Nomad attempts another step towards the doll who whimpers and contorts himself into a smaller ball. Yunho stops and immediately back tracks. Clearly this isn’t working. “Okay. Just...stay here for a minute, okay? I’m gonna get someone who can help, so just stay here and don’t move.” He doesn’t know if the doll agrees or not, doesn’t really think it matters, before he rounds the desk and hurries out of his apartment. 

The doll thinks he’s a Scavenger. He probably thinks he’s still with them and at risk of being put down and harvested at any moment. He needs someone less threatening who maybe even understands the doll’s fears. Yunho rushes two doors down to Wooyoung’s apartment and alternatively starts ringing his doorbell and banging on the door. 

“Wooyoung!” he calls for his neighbor. “Wooyoung, I need you to get up.” He bangs on the door louder, glancing back over to his own every once in a while to check if the doll is trying to make a break for it. He doesn’t really have a problem with the doll leaving if he wants, but he figured Seonghwa should at least check up on him before he turned the doll loose to do whatever. 

The door slides open, and he’s met with the sight of Jongho. His partner’s hair is all messed up, sticking up in odd directions, and he looks tired as hell as he adjusts the waistband of his pants and grumbles under his breath. “Where’s Wooyoung?” he asks.

“Passed out on the bed.” Jongho jerks his head in his boyfriend’s direction. “He took a hit of Black Lace ‘n passed out a few hours ago. He’s prolly not gonna get up for a while.” 

“I need him to.” Yunho pushes past Jongho to enter the apartment, making a beeline for the bed. Just like Jongho said, Wooyoung is naked and passed out on top of the bed, head cradled on one of the pillows as he hugs the other one to his chest. Bite marks litter his shoulders and hips, and there’s dried cum on his pelvis, but Yunho doesn’t even blink as he reaches out to shake Wooyoung. “Wake up,” he calls for his neighbor as he shakes him. 

“What’s going on?” Jongho asks through a yawn as he approaches. “He’s gonna be dead to the world, Yun. He’s coming down from his high.” 

“The doll woke up.” Yunho shakes Wooyoung harder, and the smaller man grumbles as he cracks his eyes open. Behind him, Jongho sucks in a sharp breath. 

“Mn,” Wooyoung grumbles as he runs a hand through his hair and blinks tired eyes open. “What is it? Yuyu?” He stares at the blond for a moment, one eye still shut as he tiredly processes his neighbor’s presence. Finally he rolls onto his back and swats Yunho’s hands away when the blond tries to drag him out of bed. “Too tired for a threesome,” he murmurs. “Shoulda come sooner if you wanted…” He snuggles into his pillow, thought process trailing off. 

“Wooyoung, it’s the doll. He woke up.” 

Wooyoung jerks up into an upright position with a start and twists around to stare at Yunho. “He’s awake?” he repeats, suddenly feeling alive and energized. 

“Yeah, but he’s absolutely freaking out right now.” Yunho motions in the direction of his apartment. “Can you help? Talk to him or something? I think he still thinks he’s being held by Scavs. He’s terrified.” 

Wooyoung doesn’t need further prompting. He rolls out of bed and immediately zeroes in on Jongho’s T-shirt which he snatches up from the floor. “Woo,” Jongho calls for his boyfriend as Wooyoung wiggles into his shirt, “you should probably at least wash yourself off before—” 

“No time.” Wooyoung grabs his underwear from the floor as well and shimmies into them. Dressed and semi-decent, he leads the three of them out of the apartment and jogs his way over to Yunho’s door. 

Jongho pauses when he catches sight of the elevator. “Hey,” he calls to them when they’re in front of Yunho’s door. “I’ll go get us all breakfast or something. It’s probably best if we’re not all cramped in the apartment. It’ll probably just spook him. Right, Woo?” 

Wooyoung hesitates, eyes roaming over his boyfriend’s half naked body. “That’s probably true,” he murmurs to himself. “But you don’t have to get us all breakfast either!” 

“It’s fine.” Jongho shrugs his shoulders and waves his boyfriend off. “And anyways, we might all need it by the time this is done.” 

Wooyoung supposes that he can’t deny that Jongho has a point. “Pancakes for me,” he concedes as he leans over to press a kiss to Jongho’s lips. The red head reciprocates before pushing Wooyoung away to look at his partner. “What about you?” 

“Whatever.” Yunho shakes his head nonchalantly. “Just get me whatever is cheapest.” 

Jongho nods his head and looks between Yunho and Wooyoung, feeling a little reluctant to leave them. But he tilts his head and turns to the elevator anyways. They're unlikely to be in any danger, obviously, but it doesn’t make it any easier to leave the two of them behind. 

“Where is he?” Wooyoung asks quietly when they enter Yunho’s apartment. 

The blond looks over to his desk and tilts his head towards it. Wooyoung nods in acknowledgement before he shoos Yunho to the other side of the room and motions for him to keep quiet. The blond does as directed, quietly watching from beside his dresser as Wooyoung quietly pads around the corner of the desk. He doesn’t try to mask his approach by any means, but he tries to be quiet so as not to scare the doll. 

As he rounds the end of the desk, he crouches down onto his knees and then peeks around the corner. Two blue eyes stare at him from behind Yunho’s black chair, and Wooyoung’s heart flutters, giddy with both excitement and nerves. “Hey,” he coos, shifting so that the doll can see him. He doesn’t try to scoot any closer though. He sits back on his heels and folds his hands together loosely in his lap. 

The doll’s eyes glance down before he meets Wooyoung’s gaze, and Wooyoung knows that the doll can recognize what he is. Or what he was. “Your…?” The doll moves the chair to the side but doesn’t move out from underneath the desk. 

“Yes.” Wooyoung nods his head in confirmation. “My name is Wooyoung. What about you?” 

The doll bites down on his bottom lip, eyes scanning over the apartment and lingering in the direction of the door. He knows someone else is over there, but he can’t see them and it makes him nervous. “San,” he finally answers in a small voice. 

“San, you're safe now.” Wooyoung scoots forward a little bit. The doll’s eyes immediately snap to him, and he presses himself back further underneath the desk. Wooyoung freezes and then sighs. He should have expected as much, but San is much more skittish than even he anticipated. 

Lifting himself off his heels, Wooyoung peers over the desk towards Yunho who’s posted himself up next to his closet. “Yuyu,” Wooyoung calls for him. The blond lifts his head up to meet Wooyoung’s gaze, and the dark haired man points towards the window. “Stand there so he can see you.” 

Nodding his head, Yunho moves from the closet to do as Wooyoung commands, giving the desk a wide berth as he makes his way over to the window. He leans back against the wall there and looks across the room to where the desk is. He can see the doll, San, still cowering underneath it, although he seems more at ease now that he can see Yunho. He crosses his arms over his chest and waits for Wooyoung to continue. 

“Okay, San.” The doll’s eyes move over to Wooyoung as he tests his luck and scoots closer again. San doesn’t appear to protest. “What—what do you remember last?” 

San trembles and wraps his arms around his legs, holding his knees to his chest. “Scavs...they were holding me for days. I tried to run away but…” 

Yunho perks up in interest. Days? Scavengers didn’t usually let their victims live for more than a few hours. Even their target had been taken less than twenty-four hours before Hongjoong had sent him and Jongho in, but San had been with them for _days_? He looks at Wooyoung when the younger man casts him a questioning look over his shoulder. Clearly they’re both thinking the same thing. 

“Why were they holding you for so long?” Wooyoung asks. “I mean, Scavs don’t usually…” he trails off. 

“They were waiting for equipment. That’s what they said at least.” San clings to himself as he sinks lower, still casting furtive looks in Yunho’s direction. “Video camera, neural feeds, recording box,” he repeats. “Those were the things they were looking for.” 

Yunho digs his fingers into his arms but otherwise refrains from visibly reacting to San’s words. He’s no expert, not like Wooyoung anyway, but he knows what those pieces of equipment were used for. Wooyoung is as still as a statue on the floor, and the blond wonders what must be going through his mind right now. He’d been right. They wanted to use the doll to film a braindance. 

“I thought that’s what he—I thought he brought the stuff and…” San points to Yunho before quickly turning away. “And my time was up.” 

“Yunho isn’t a Scav,” Wooyoung says gently. It’s a struggle considering how much he just wants to scream out his anger and frustration. He has to keep reminding himself that San is out. Yunho got him before they could do anything. “He’s a merc. He was on sight for a job and,” he turns to look at the blond again, takes in the hard edge to Yunho’s gaze. “He killed the Scavs that were holding you hostage.” 

“You’re not...a Scav?” San unfurls himself just the smallest bit, finally seeming to relax his posture if only the slightest bit. 

“No. You’re nowhere near them anymore,” Wooyoung assures him. “You’re safe. Lucky for you a couple of mercs were in the area.” He smiles at the doll, trying to coax him out slowly with his words.

The doll perks up, and he blinks wide, curious eyes at Yunho. “You’re a mercenary?” he asks curiously.

Yunho hesitates before nodding his head in response. Surprisingly, San uncurls himself and crawls forward out from beneath the desk. Wooyoung and Yunho both tense up, holding their breath, as the doll slowly moves forward on his hands and knees. He hesitates as he approaches Wooyoung, but he quickly moves away to give the doll space. 

Wooyoung clings to the side of the desk as he watches with rapt interest as San continues to crawl to Yunho. However, the closer he gets, the more confidence he seems to lose, and his pace begins to slow. Yunho looks to Wooyoung with a worried expression, but the younger man just holds a finger to his lips and motions for him to stay still. 

It takes a while. They can both see the way San begins to tremble as he closes the distance to Yunho, but he makes it over to him, sitting back on his haunches as he looks up at Yunho. The blond holds his breath, unsure what the churning in his stomach is when he stares down at the doll. 

His eyes are bright with curiosity and hope. “Someone paid you to extract me?” he asks. A lump forms in Yunho’s throat, and he immediately looks away. “Did—did my Master change his mind? He paid you to come get me, right?” Wooyoung makes a wounded little noise in the back of his throat and falls back onto his ass. 

What do they do? Lie to him? Tell him the truth? Wooyoung isn’t able to come up with a proper strategy because Yunho speaks first. 

“No,” he says quietly, sympathetically. “I was there for a different target. You just happened to be with her.” 

San’s hopeful expression drops, and he looks devastated. “You didn’t come to extract me?” he asks in a small voice.

“We were extracting a corpo,” Yunho answers apologetically. San wraps his arms around his stomach and crumples over with a little whimper. “You were in the same room, barely alive. Took you to a ripperdoc I know.” 

“So, Master didn’t want me back,” the doll murmurs to himself. His shoulders slump down and he hangs his head, the picture of defeat. 

“You’re out though,” Yunho reminds him gently. 

San’s shoulders lift as he takes in a deep breath, deflating when he releases it. Then he lifts his head up again, eyes filled with worry and suspicion as he stares at the blond. “What are you going to do with me?” 

Yunho licks his lips. He has no idea. First, he thinks he should take him back to Seonghwa like the ripperdoc requested. After that, he really doesn’t know. He can’t exactly take care of a doll when he’s barely getting by on his own, but he’s not sure what he’s going to do either. He figures he’ll probably just do whatever the doll wants. If he wants to leave, Yunho isn’t going to stop him. 

“Dunno.” He shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head. 

“I can be of good service to you,” the doll says immediately. His voice wavers with fear, and he reaches out to pinch the cuff of Yunho’s pant leg. “I...I can be of more value to you! Scavs—Scavs would rip you off. My implants—” He bites on his tongue, eyes widening when he realizes what he’s about to say. “Anyways...what I mean is some of my implants are worth more than they would give you for me. The ones you can take non-lethally.” 

Yunho sighs and looks down at the doll. “Kid, San, whatever your name is. I’m not gonna fucking take you apart and sell you piece by piece. Then I’d have to get you fitted for new parts.” 

Wooyoung feels his chest unnecessarily swell with pride at Yunho’s response. The Nomad has always been a little gruff and rough around the edges, probably not all that unusual for someone of his lifestyle, but he’s always been a good person in Wooyoung’s opinion. He did a lot of dirty work as a mercenary, but he never wavered in his own moral compass. It was definitely admirable. 

“You’re not?” San stares at the Nomad, looking like a pitiful animal. 

“No. I took you from there ‘cause I fucking hate Scavs more than anything. I ain’t gonna just sell you back to the same sickos.” 

For a long moment the doll is silent as he processes Yunho’s words. Then his whole body suddenly relaxes and he slumps down against the wall Yunho is leaning against. He’s not going back to Scavengers. Not a single part of him is. “Are you going to send me to a playhouse?” he asks again, not nearly as fearful though Yunho can still hear a tinge of anxiety in his voice. 

When San had learned exactly where he was going when his Master had brought him to the hand off location, he’d collapsed at the man’s feet, begging to be sent to a playhouse instead because at least that way he could live. His Master had merely shook him off and said a playhouse wouldn’t have paid nearly as much for second hand goods like him, and he’d invested too much into San. The doll had to pay him back for that cost, and Scavengers were the only ones who were willing to give him that.

“Do you want to go to one?”

The doll parts his lips to speak, but Yunho’s door slides open at that moment, and Jongho steps in with two plastic bags—one in each hand. “Oi, I got breakfast,” he announces, holding the bags up. Wooyoung releases a noise of alarm, flapping his arms at his boyfriend. 

San whips his head around to stare at the new comer, eyes wide with fear. Yunho takes a step forward, ready to explain that everything is fine. Jongho isn’t a threat or anything, but his legs feel suddenly anchored down. He stumbles and when he looks down he sees the doll clinging to his legs, holding onto them tightly and pressing his face into Yunho’s thigh to try and hide. 

“You fucking gonk!” Wooyoung hisses, pounding his fists against Jongho’s hip when he approaches. 

“What? Ow!” The red head winces as he sets the bags down on the desk his boyfriend is sitting next to. 

“You scared the shit outta him!” Jongho catches Wooyoung’s hands when he swings his fists again. 

“Christ! Sorry. Fuckin’ hell.”

“It’s okay.” Yunho awkwardly reaches down to pat the doll on the head. “He’s a merc too. My partner. He was also there when we found you, so you could say he saved you too.” San lifts his head up to blink wet eyes at the blond. His fingers curl into Yunho’s plant leg and the Nomad definitely doesn’t have the heart to tell him how vocal Jongho had been against saving him initially. “He, uh, went to get everyone breakfast. Are you hungry?” 

“Huh? I—” San averts his gaze and shakes his head. “No. Thank you, but I—” His stomach growls loudly, cutting off his response. His face heats up in embarrassment, and he quickly hides his face back into Yunho’s leg. 

The Nomad’s expression softens at the doll’s behavior. “Come on,” he encourages San, reaching down to gently pry the doll’s fingers from his pant legs. “Let’s get you something to eat.” 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yunho starts to realize that he may have bitten off more than he can chew

They gather around the coffee table while Jongho digs through the bags for all the take-out boxes he’d gotten. He pulls out two styrofoam boxes, handing one to Wooyoung who cheers and slides the other one across the table to San. The doll blinks at it and leans down to observe the take-out box curiously, chin resting on top of the coffee table. He doesn’t make a move to touch it though, evidently still unsure that it’s even for him. 

Wooyoung squeaks in delight as he sets his own take-out box on the table, and San observes him with thinly veiled curiosity as he opens the lid and licks his lips. Jongho digs through the other bag, pulling out a wrapped sandwich which hehe hands over to Yunho. San lifts his head up from the table, tilting his head back to stare at the wrapped item. “I got you a breakfast sandwich,” Jongho tells him. 

The blond shrugs his shoulders, not particularly picky about his food, and looks down at the take-out box in front of San. The one that he still hasn’t touched. “What’s that?” he asks, pointing to the styrofoam container. 

Jongho takes out his own sandwich and moves to sit on the couch behind Wooyoung. It puts a good amount of distance between him and the doll who’s still visibly uncomfortable. “I got him pancakes too,” he answers. 

San forms a little “o” shape with his lips, still studying the take-out box from every conceivable angle without touching it. “Is it for me?” He turns his curious gaze to Yunho who blinks at the question. The Nomad quirks an eyebrow, looking over the doll’s head to meet Wooyoung’s eyes in search of some guidance. 

Wooyoung’s expression is tight with concern as he stares at the back of San’s head before lifting his eyes up to meet Yunho’s. He reaches out to prod San on the arm, drawing the doll’s attention to him. And, with a smile, he motions to the take-out box and tests him. “It’s yours. Eat.” 

San’s eyes drop down to the take-out box and he swallows thickly, tempted by the offer. Wooyoung doesn’t miss the way the doll hesitates and clearly resists the urge telling him to just eat. He frowns, pretty sure he knows why but unable to blame Yunho for it despite the flare of annoyance in his gut. The Nomad hadn’t even done anything, and it was probably more of an involuntary reaction on San’s part, a survival instinct so to speak, and Yunho probably had no clue. 

San turns his head back to Yunho and blinks inquisitively at him. Yunho meets his gaze, his sandwich half unwrapped in his hands, before he shifts in his seat uncomfortably. What did San want? “You wanna trade?” he guesses, offering his sandwich up. San fidgets and shakes his head. 

“Tell him he can eat,” Wooyoung says, filling in the gap for the blond. 

Yunho jolts and looks at Wooyoung. Even Jongho seems startled by the advice if the way he freezes with his sandwich halfway to his mouth is any indication. “What?” Yunho blurts out. 

“He’s seeking your permission.” Wooyoung nods his head towards San. “Just let him know he can eat.” 

“But—” 

“We’ll discuss it later,” Wooyoung cuts him off. “Just do what I tell you for now.” 

Pressing his lips together in a thin line, Yunho meets San’s eyes. The doll is staring at him with a silent question in his gaze. “You can,” he stutters, feeling all sorts of weird. Does he really need to give the doll permission? “You can eat,” he chokes out. 

Brightening up, San turns to the take-out box and finally reaches out to mimic Wooyoung’s earlier motion to lift the lid. He cocks his head at the contents inside. “What is it?” He looks at Yunho again. 

“Pancakes!” Wooyoung answers before Yunho has a chance to respond, and the blond breathes a quiet sigh of relief. Wooyoung leans across the table so he can help the doll. “Here, I’ll show you how to eat it. It’s pretty good for synth food. Was your old Master rich? Have you ever tried real food?” San blinks and watches as Wooyoung pours the syrup over the pancakes. “I always joke to Jongho that the only place he can ever propose to me is at a restaurant that serves real food. It’s my goal to try real food at least once. I wanna see if it’s really better than the synthetic stuff.” 

“Those places are really expensive though.” San opens his mouth when Wooyoung prompts him to. He shoves a small piece of syrup drenched pancake into the doll’s mouth, and San positively lights up at the sweet taste on his tongue. He hums in delight. 

“Oh? So you have tried it before then?” Wooyoung presses. “Your Master must have been rich.” 

“Yeah. He ate real food for every meal, and he had a personal chef to prepare it all. Sometimes he would go to those restaurants too—oh!—but I never got to try it or anything though.” He shakes his head furiously before taking the fork Woooyoung offers to him. Tentatively, he takes another bite of his pancakes. Jongho and Yunho are both quietly nibbling on their own food as they let Wooyoung coax more information out of the doll. 

“What did you eat then?” 

San takes another bite of his food, chewing thoughtfully as he looks at Wooyoung. Then he turns his head to stare at Yunho before suddenly hunching down over his food protectively. Yunho doesn’t appear to notice, but it doesn’t escape Wooyoung’s attention. He narrows his eyes at the doll’s behavior. “Not even synth food?” he guesses. 

“Huh?” San blinks at him, still hugging the take-out box close. “Well…” He pulls back a little, staring at his half-eaten pancakes regretfully. Maybe he could finish stuffing them into his face before he answers? He shakes his head to quickly banish that thought. He  _ knows _ better than that. He’s been trained better than that. 

Wooyoung knows what his fear is: that they’ll take his food away in favor of a cheaper option if he reveals that he typically eats something cheaper. He doesn’t make a move to comfort the doll though. Not yet. He can’t yet, otherwise it wouldn’t help. 

San stares down at his food, silently mourning its loss as he parts his lips and answers, “Kibble.” Yunho nearly chokes when he swallows a bite of his sandwich. Wooyoung stares down at the table, silently seething with rage at the answer and only really able to keep a lid on it thanks to the hand Jongho places on his shoulder to ground him. 

“What? Like as a supplement?” he asks, wishing the doll would say that he’s joking. But he knows better. San isn’t just any doll, he’s been trained in a way that Wooyoung is unfamiliar with as a former playhouse doll. 

“No.” San shakes his head. “I—I can’t remember ever eating anything besides Kibble until today.” 

“I see.” Wooyoung reaches out to pull San’s food closer to the doll, hand trembling with rage. “Well, hurry up and eat. No one’s going to take it from you.” San hesitates and looks to Yunho for approval, but the blond just tilts his head forward, staying put in his place. 

Wooyoung sighs, slumping against the couch when San returns to scarfing down the food. Jongho runs his fingers through his hair soothingly, playing with it the way Wooyoung loves, but it’s not enough to mute the angry fire burning in the pit of his stomach. 

Synthetic food isn’t cheap by any means, but even the average person could afford to eat it without burning a hole through their wallet. Kibble was to get through times when maybe money was stretched thin, and synth food was just the easiest thing to cut back on expenses wise. But more than that, Wooyoung’s absolutely furious about what San had revealed. 

Even when Wooyoung worked at Euphoria they hadn’t degraded the dolls by keeping them sustained on Kibble. Even they would fork over the money to pay for synthetic food for their staff. Kibble, a mass produced nutrient mix made from algae and soy protein, came out looking like a dry pet food and was only reserved for those days when a doll was so booked up and busy that a real meal wasn’t possible. Expecting a doll to live solely off of Kibble wasn’t just degrading, it was lunacy. 

“Don’t worry,” he assures San, slapping a smile on his lips, “Yunho isn’t like that. He’ll feed you properly.” 

Yunho perks up at the mention of his name, wondering why he’s being dragged into this and spoken for. San seems satisfied in any case, eagerly digging into his food until the take-out box is licked clean. 

  
  
  
  


“So, whaddya gonna do?” Jongho asks as they walk Wooyoung back over to his apartment. Yunho glances back to his own apartment where they’d left the doll for now. 

“Gonna take him back to Hwa first. I’ll figure out what to do from there.” He scratches the back of his head because he honestly has no idea what he’s going to do with the doll. In some ways Jongho was right. San just ended up being extra baggage, but the Nomad still doesn’t regret his choice. He’d do it over again if he had to. 

“Yuyu,” Wooyoung pauses in front of his door and turns to face him. “You can’t send him to a playhouse.” 

“What if he wants to go?” Jongho challenges, raising his eyebrows. 

“He won’t.” Wooyoung stares at Yunho even as he answers his boyfriend. “You said his behavioral chip was stuck in him, right? His training is beyond anything I’ve seen before. He’s already looking to you as his new master. Or pseudo one at least. That’s why you had to tell him to eat. Don’t abandon him, yeah? I’m begging you not to.” 

“What?” Yunho stumbles back a step. “I’m not anyone’s Master. The fuck? I just didn’t want him to die.” 

Wooyoung waves him off. “Don’t take it too seriously or anything. It’s not really that you did anything to assert that you were. He’s just doing what he thinks won’t get him killed.” 

“That doesn’t even make any sense,” Yunho protests. 

“It does. He’s an abandoned doll, sentenced by his old Master to Scavs, but you picked him up. Logically, he belongs to you now.” 

Yunho sighs, placing his hands on his hips, while Jongho tilts his head back and barks out a laugh. “Hilarious.” The red head wipes a fake tear from his eye. “As if Yun has the money to maintain a doll. You swimming in some eddies you not telling me about?” 

“Fuck off,” Yunho snaps at him, but Jongho just laughs because he knows the blond is all bark and no bite. “Jongho’s right though. I can’t exactly afford to just shelter a doll, not unless he makes some sort of income on his own.” 

“Told you,” Jongho sings. 

Wooyoung crosses his arms over his chest and glares at his boyfriend. “Don’t you have a gig to get to or something?” 

Jongho checks the time on his holo and mutters a curse under his breath, but he doesn’t leave without stealing a kiss from Wooyoung first. The older man indulges him although he doesn’t move to hold him. He stands still with his arms still folded over his chest. “Sorry,” Jongho murmurs as he pulls away. 

“Just wanna talk in private,” Wooyoung replies. 

“I’ll come back after work.” Jongho waves to his boyfriend and then Yunho before he turns to head for the elevator. 

Wooyoung waits until his boyfriend is gone before he picks up where they left off. “I’m sure we can figure something out,” he pleads. “I don’t wanna, but at the very least I could pay him to do some BDs or something. Just—I’m begging you, Yuyu. You’re the only one I know who wouldn’t just kick him to the curb or sell him out.” 

“I’m not going to,” Yunho assures him. “All I’m saying is that I can’t afford to help him forever if we can’t figure out some way to make money off him.” 

Wooyoung nods his head in understanding. He knows the position Yunho is in. Dolls like him are pets and pets cost eddies, more than Yunho can afford as a street merc. “How long?” he asks. “How long do you think you could afford to…?” he trails off. 

“Dunno.” Yunho shakes his head. “I’m not planning on taking any gigs for the next couple of days, but after that it’ll really just depend on the flow of work and how much the jobs are paying.” He thinks about that job offer Hongjoong had contacted him about. It would be easy enough although he never did find out how much Hongjoong was willing to pay. He banishes the thought as quickly as it had come. He won’t do that to Seonghwa. 

“‘Kay, well I’ll try to help you figure somethin’ out,” Wooyoung says. 

“I’m willing to listen to anything.” Yunho tilts his head forward in agreement. “But, Wooyoung, there’s still something that’s bothering me.” 

“Hm? What is it?” 

“These...behavioral chips, how do they work?” 

Wooyoung sighs, leaning against the door of his apartment. “Depends. Every chip that’s manufactured works a little differently from one another like cyberdecks and upgrade systems. And like those you can get them custom made to fit whatever you need.” 

Yunho cups his chin thoughtfully. “Seonghwa said he couldn’t take this one out ‘cause it was coded to someone’s fingerprint. Probably his old Master. What do you think?” 

“I have no doubt that he has a custom made one in him.” Wooyoung shakes his head and stares down at his feet, feeling sorry for the doll. “But how it works I can’t really say. Typically most work by activating upon some kind of phrase. It’s a code to get the doll ready for work. It completely hijacks the mind for the time in which it’s activated and is usually either on a timer or another word or phrase is used to stop the effects, but that’s the thing about most dolls and him.” They both can’t help but glance in the direction of Yunho’s apartment. 

“Dolls, for all intents and purposes, are just there to do a job. The behavioral chip helps them achieve that, but it doesn’t stop or erase their personality. It just suppresses it for the time that it’s activated.” Wooyoung shudders at the thought, and Yunho wonders if he’s reliving some of his own memories. “San...isn’t the typical doll that I’m used to. He’s subservient and dependent to an alarming degree outside of the direct influence of his chip. Whoever owned him before...they  _ trained _ him to be like that. How much the chip contributed to that or continues to contribute to it now, I dunno.” 

“And that’s what you meant,” Yunho remarks, “about him looking at me as his new Master for survival.” 

“He’s helpless on his own,” Wooyoung confirms. “For him, being on your good side means a greater likelihood that he’ll live. That’s why he’s looking to you for directions because that’s what being  _ good _ means to him.” 

“What should I do?” Yunho asks. “I don’t want him to be like that. It’s fuckin’ weird.” 

“I know, but let him be for now,” Wooyoung advises. “He’s just doing what he thinks will help him. And who knows how his chip works? It might be physically impossible to train him out of it without removing the chip. I dunno.” He peers at Yunho through his bangs when the blond sighs, his heart twisting up in his chest. “Please, don’t give up on him. Dolls...they don’t often have prospects outside of that. They either die in the industry or are thrown out. And San is probably worse off than anyone else. He wouldn’t last a day on the streets.” 

Yunho meets his gaze before turning away. “You sure know a lot about ‘em. Dolls, I mean.”

“I’ve known a lot.” Wooyoung crosses an arm over his chest to grab his elbow, digging his fingers into the skin there. “Nobody really chooses to become a doll. It happens because they’re already working as a joytoy to make ends meet or somebody decides you’re worth playing with or investing in. It’s a terrible path to go, though.” He tucks his chin down to his chest, arms trembling. “Sometimes I wish I could go back in time to tell the dolls I’ve met not to have done it, but sometimes it’s the only way out for them. I could say it’s not worth it, but sometimes it’s the difference between dying right then and living just another day.” 

“Wooyoung, I’m not gonna just give up on San. Not until I have to or unless I don’t have any other choice.” 

“Thank you. It means—it means a lot more to me than you could ever know.” 

“Yeah.” Yunho avoids his gaze. “Sure.” 

  
  
  
  


Luring San out of the apartment is surprisingly difficult. The doll follows him around the apartment easily enough but when Yunho leads him close to the door, San suddenly hesitates and starts trembling as he stares out onto the open balcony. “You want me to go with you?” The doll hunches down nervously, eyeing the open space with an unhealthy degree of suspicion. 

“Yeah.” Yunho steps past the threshold of his door and motions for the doll to come to him. The doll is hesitant before he meets Yunho’s eyes, and then he suddenly gives in. San shuffles his way over to the Nomad. “I need to take you to my ripperdoc.” 

Despite doing as Yunho requests, his reluctance is almost literally palpable. He shivers when Yunho mentions a ripperdoc, his limbs locking up as he stares at Yunho who motions for him to follow as he leads the doll over to the elevators. 

San runs his hands down his body, trying to take quick stock of himself as he makes an ever growing list of the implants and modifications he’s received over the years. Embarrassingly, he can’t even name all the ones that he has. He’s had plenty of surgeries where his Master discussed what he wanted with the surgeon before San would be promptly knocked out only to wake up later with a new, unknown body modification or implant. 

Still, he can list a good number of them. He can especially compile a mental list of the implants that could be extracted from him non-lethally because those surgeries rarely required that he go under anesthesia. The hard part is trying to calculate just how much those parts would be worth. They need to be worth enough to catch the mercenary’s attention, but he doesn’t want to exaggerate it either. Glancing at the blond, San has a feeling that he’d know immediately if San tried to oversell his worth. 

He paces the length of the elevator as it descends, and butterflies flutter in his stomach. He’s always been afraid of heights. If Yunho notices his nervous pacing—which he _must_ —he doesn’t comment. San flinches back from the window when the open space beyond the lift is suddenly engulfed by cold, grey concrete as they descend into the parking garage. 

San’s feet feel heavy as he trudges out of the elevator, trailing after Yunho as the blond makes his way over to one of the cars. The doll’s interest is piqued when he sees the car Yunho beelines to. Usually it’s nothing all that interesting, but it’s a bulky, tough looking car unlike any San has ever seen before. His old Master had owned a sleek, black car with windows tinted so dark they were like a void and an engine that purred quietly. Yunho’s vehicle is the complete antithesis to that in comparison. 

“This is Master’s car?” he asks quietly, not intending for Yunho to hear, as he circles the vehicle curiously. “Do not speak unless spoken to” was one of the first rules San had ever learned, but he’d also figured out through trial and error that he could talk to himself so long as nobody else heard him speak.

But Yunho does hear him, and he grins lopsidedly as he smacks the hood of his car while San crouches down by the trunk. “It sure is. Ain't it beautiful too?” He makes his way over to the driver’s side and unlocks the door before motioning for San to come sit in the passenger seat. 

San scrambles around the back of the car, head hanging low in shame that Yunho had heard him speak out of turn. He just...hadn’t been expecting such a rough and rugged looking vehicle. 

“Built it myself. Did a pretty good job too if you ask me,” Yunho says proudly when San tentatively climbs into the passenger seat. 

“You know how to build cars?” San looks at him in awe as he buckles himself in. 

“Sure.” Yunho shrugs as he turns on the engine. San jolts in his seat as the car comes alive. It’s louder than the luxury cars and aerodyne vehicles he’d rode in before with his Master, but its engine is deceptively quiet given the car’s initial appearance. It’s also the first time he’s been expected or allowed to sit in one of the seats. Typically his Master preferred when San was on the floor at his feet. Then again, he usually had a chauffeur to drive him around everywhere. 

“It’s basically a coming of age ceremony for Nomads.” San is pulled from his thoughts when Yunho speaks, and he perks up at this new information he’s learned. “Can’t be a proper Nomad if you can’t build and maintain your own car.” 

San stares at the blond as he backs them out of the parking spot before moving the car forward. “You’re a Nomad, Master?” 

Yunho’s fingers twitch against the steering wheel as he follows the signs to the exit. “Yeah. Or I was. And Yunho is fine, please. Call me Yunho.” 

San folds his hands on top of his lap and stares down at them. “Of course. Whatever you wish, Mast—Yunho.” The blond nods his head, satisfied by the drop of the Master title, before silence falls over them while Yunho drives a familiar route over to Seonghwa’s workshop. 

The doll keeps stealing glances at Yunho as he drives, taking in the bleached blond look of his hair, sun damaged, and his preferred attire. He looks nothing like his old Master, but just as intimidating in his own way. San finds that intimidation factor is only upped by the fact that he’s a Nomad. “I’ve never met a Nomad before,” he murmurs to himself. 

“You haven’t?” San yelps, jumping in his seat when he realizes that Yunho heard him _again_. 

“Do you have an auditory implant, Yunho?” he inquires politely. Yunho hums his affirmative, and San decides he’ll need to be more careful from now on. 

“So, you’ve never met a Nomad before?” Yunho repeats. 

“Not that I remember,” San answers. “Master didn’t like them in particular. He said Nomad’s were all stupid barbarians.” He peeks up at Yunho, worried that the blond might punish him for his Master’s words. Yunho doesn’t really respond though, appearing to remain calm as he stays focused on traffic. “He did business with them from time to time. I think that’s why he hated them so much.” 

Yunho laughs at San’s observation, sounding genuinely amused by the doll’s opinion. “Sounds like the corpos I’d done deals with before. Need you so they’re polite as can be to your face but always talked shit soon as you were gone.” He shakes his head, the corner of his lips pulled up into a little smile. “Paid good money though, so we kept working with ‘em.” 

“You don’t seem so bad,” San agrees, although he quickly turns away when Yunho spares a glance at him. 

“So what was that about anyways?” Yunho asks, smoothly transitioning the subject. 

“What are you referring to?” 

“This morning you talked about how you couldn’t remember eating anything but Kibble before.” Yunho reaches out to play with the temperature control, turning up the AC. “And just now you mentioned how you weren’t sure if you’d ever met a Nomad before. Are those, like, childhood memories you can’t remember anymore? I mean, you weren’t—you couldn’t have been born a doll, right?” 

“I wasn’t.” San furrows his eyebrows together as he talks though like he isn’t actually sure that he’s saying the truth. “Most people don’t choose to become a doll,” Yunho tries not to jolt at those familiar words, “but Master gave me a better life by making me his doll.” 

“Did he?” Yunho glances at the doll. “I found you half-dead in a Scav workshop.” San ducks his head down, going quiet. “Why’d he sell you to them?” 

San shifts in his seat, pressing his toes together. “Found someone prettier,” he murmurs shamefully. “Didn’t need me anymore, but I had to pay back my worth to him.” 

Yunho sighs and rubs at one of his eyes when he feels a headache coming on. “How long were you with him?” 

San hesitates, reluctant to answer, but Yunho asked him a question. He swallows back any feelings of his damaged pride— an unnecessary emotion for a doll—and says, “Master picked me when I was seventeen, trained me for two years, and I serviced him for five before, well…” 

Yunho tightens his hold on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white from the strength of his grip. “And before that? Before you were seventeen where were you? What were you doing? Why’d you choose that?” 

“I don’t know.” San cocks his head to the side, expression confused like he’d never once thought of that question before. “I...one of the first things Master did was perform a memory wipe of my hardware. I don’t remember much about myself before him.” 

Yunho unconsciously presses his foot down against the accelerator, only realizes that he’s driving at an alarming speed when he sees how the doll curls his hands around the bottom of his seat like he’s nervous they might crash. “That’s fucking messed up.” He releases the pressure on the accelerator. “So he took away all your memories from before you became a doll?” 

“Yes.” San relaxes in his seat when they return to a more sensible speed. “From what I could tell from some conversations Master would have with friends it’s a fairly common practice to wipe a doll’s memory.” Yunho frowns and thinks that no. No, it really isn’t a common practice. Maybe only among the economic elite. “It made training easier.” 

“So you don’t know anything about yourself?” Yunho asks. “You only know how to be a doll? The only memories you have are of belonging to someone else?” 

San flinches back at the tone in his voice, and Yunho would apologize but he can’t. He feels sickened, and for a moment all he can do is look down at the doll beside him in disgust. This is how he lived. This is what he _chose_. But Wooyoung’s voice chides him in the back of his mind. No one chooses this. It’s a choice that’s made for them, but Yunho can’t help but question how true that is for San. 

“I—I remember some things,” the doll argues quietly. 

“Like what?” 

“Like, that I’m from Pacifica.” 

Yunho slows the car down as he turns down a narrow alley. “Pacifica?” he repeats, glancing at the doll skeptically. San is from Pacifica? It was the southernmost district of Night City, built along the coast line and developed decades ago to be a paradise retreat for the rich residents of Night City. Funding had been pulled and development temporarily came to a halt in light of the Fourth Corporate War, and the district had never recovered. Overcome with violence and general lawlessness, by the time reconstruction efforts were started Pacifica had fallen into complete disarray and the mega-corporations were never able to regain their foothold there. 

In response, Pacifica had been officially declared a combat zone. The Night City government retreated entirely from there, and neither the NCPD nor its elite team, MaxTac, would enter Pacifica for any reason. There had been stories about a few attempts by the mega-corporations to regain control of it several years ago, but the elite combat teams they sent in were never heard from again. About the only organization Yunho knows of that will still enter Pacifica is Trauma Team, and even then it’s only if they’re armed with the latest weapons and for the right price. Not even some of the most hard core mercenaries would enter. Going into Pacifica basically meant entering a war zone. One of the first things Jongho had ever told him when he came to Night City was to never take a gig in Pacifica. 

“Pay ain’t nearly good enough to justify the fact that you prolly won’t make it out alive,” the redhead told him. “Any Fixer who asks you to go there is a fucking gonk and you cut them off right away. You understand me?” 

The idea that San not only came from Pacifica but survived it for several years seems almost laughable, but then again, Yunho had never met a Pacifica native. Perhaps it was the reason he’d become a doll too, a ticket out of the combat zone. 

“Why?” he asks. “Was it a mistake? Did they just forget to wipe that memory too?” 

“No.” San peers out the windshield as they come to a stop in the alley. It’s filthy, a dumpster piled up with garbage at the end of the narrow road. Graffiti litters the sides of the building, and there’s random trash and abandoned items strewn everywhere. San hunkers into himself, suddenly scared. “Master used to tell me when I was training that if I wasn’t good, if I didn’t do what he said, he would send me back home, but I didn’t want to go back there.” 

Yunho cuts the engine. So it had been a threat. Do what I tell you to or be sent back into a combat zone. Guilt crushes him as he rests his forehead against his steering wheel. Wooyoung was absolutely telling the truth. Nobody chose to become a doll. It was just the better path for some people. 

“I was a drug mule for the Iron Brotherhood.” San peers at Yunho. “Do you know them?” 

“I know they’re a gang from down there. Don’t come out of Pacifica much from what I know.” Yunho drums his fingers on his steering wheel, wondering what San’s point is. 

“They do. Very secretive though. They basically control Pacifica, so I ran with them. For protection. I was a drug mule because I didn’t look all that much like a Pacifica native. Give me some nicer clothes, and I could walk the streets of some of the nicer districts without anyone batting an eye.” San stretches his legs out and stares down at his toes. “I was on a job when Master found me and picked me up. Said if I became his doll I could live with him in City Center and he’d take care of me. I just had to be good for him.”

“And that was better than being a drug mule?” Yunho’s gaze practically bores holes into the side of the doll’s head and he leans away from him as if he might escape him that way. 

“‘The average age of survival in Pacifica is only fifteen. If you’re a member of the Iron Brotherhood it nearly doubles to twenty-eight, but a low-ranking drug mule like you can’t expect to live much longer.’ That’s what Master would always tell me,” San answers quietly. “‘Be good or I’ll send you back home, but I wonder if your old family will take you back in after you ran away from them?’”

Sighing, Yunho bangs his fist on top of his steering wheel and looks away from the doll. He’s pissed off, and he doesn’t want to hear anymore. “Come on,” he says as he opens his door and slides out. San scrambles to follow suit, trailing after Yunho as the blond leads him to a set of concrete stairs that head down to a basement level.

San is visibly nervous as he watches Yunho descend down the stairs, but he doesn’t speak. Biting down on his bottom lip, he clasps his trembling hands together and quietly follows the blond. 

  
  
  
  


Seonghwa is in the middle of tinkering with his own grip implant, twirling a screwdriver into the palm of his hand to tighten it up, when the door of his workshop opens. Yunho peeks his inside first before taking a few steps into the entrance. “Hey.” The ripperdoc smiles at the sight of his friend, dropping his screwdriver onto his desk. 

“Hey.” Yunho returns to greeting with a tight smile of his own. 

Seonghwa turns to his computer to pause the video he’d been watching in the background. Then he moves his chair around to give the blond his full attention. “What brings you back so soon?” he asks. 

Yunho looks at the door and motions for someone to come closer. “Brought you a patient to look at,” Yunho replies. 

Seonghwa rolls his chair over to his surgery table, already reaching out to grab a pair of gloves. “You never run out of new patients to bring me, huh?” He pulls the rubber gloves over his hands, wiggling his fingers to make sure that they’re on properly. “Hopefully this one can actually pay for his procedure, huh?” He says the last part jokingly as he turns his chair around to face the Nomad who frowns, looking bashful. 

“Not exactly, but I can pay for it. Don’t worry ‘bout that.” Yunho waves his hand again, and the smile on Seonghwa’s face fades when he sees another person stick his head inside. Even awake now, Seonghwa recognizes the doll easily enough, and he sits up straighter as the doll nervously shuffles inside and immediately latches himself to Yunho’s side. His bright eyes dart all over the ripperdoc’s workshop. It doesn’t take a genius to tell how terrified the doll is. The tremble of his body is a dead giveaway, but Yunho seems oddly immune or oblivious to it. 

“He’s awake already?” Seonghwa asks. He hadn’t expected to see the doll back here for days at least. 

“Yeah.” Yunho places a hand on the doll’s shoulder and leads him over to Seonghwa. With a little yelp, San momentarily panics before going limp in Yunho’s hold, allowing the blond to bring him over to the operating table. “You said to bring him back to you after he woke up, so here we are.” 

San whimpers when Yunho turns him around before lifting him up by the hips to help him onto the table. Bring him back? The doll looks between the ripperdoc and Yunho, reaching out for the blond when he pulls back. He manages to snag the sleeve of Yunho’s jacket, stopping him from pulling back completely. What did they mean by bring him back? What were they going to do to him? He tries to convey these questions to Yunho through his expressions alone, but the blond doesn’t seem to catch on. 

Yunho looks down at the hand fisted into his jacket sleeve, and he reaches down to pry San’s hand away from it before he pulls back and out of reach of the doll. He doesn’t say anything. San panics, fingers scrabbling to curl around the sides of the table as he tenses up, waiting for the ripperdoc’s next move. 

“He woke up early this morning,” Yunho explains. Seonghwa stands up from his seat and walks around the table to stand in front of San. The doll flinches and shies away from the ripperdoc. 

Startled by the doll’s behavior, Seonghwa holds his hands up in surrender and keeps still so as not to scare him again. The doll casts him nervous glances as he tightens his grip around the edges of the table. Seonghwa notices how he looks past his shoulder to Yunho as if seeking guidance or comfort. The ripperdoc honestly can’t tell. 

“Hey,” he calls the doll gently. “I’m Seonghwa. I'm the ripperdoc who took care of you before. What’s your name?” The doll looks over Seonghwa’s shoulder again, still seeking Yunho out. The blond nods his head, a silent gesture to answer the question, so he does. 

“My name is San,” he says shyly. 

“San? That’s a nice name.” The ripperdoc smiles disarmingly. San hunches his shoulders, still casting the ripperdoc suspicious looks from time to time. “Can I see your arm? I’d like to check your biomon.” He holds his hands out, palms up, in a silent gesture for San’s arm. 

The doll blinks at him, holding still as he stares at Seonghwa’s outstretched hands. “I don’t have a biomon.” He lifts his eyes up to meet Seonghwa’s stare. “Master said biomons are for people not...not dolls like me. There’s no reason for me to have one.” 

Yunho curls his hands into fists at his sides and looks off to one of the corners of the workshop as the smile on Seonghwa’s face falters. The two of them exchange a look before Seonghwa turns back to San. Placing his hands on his knees, he bends down until he’s eye level with the doll. “You have a biomon implant now. I put one in you when you first came to me.” 

San’s lips part but no words or sounds escape him before he turns his arm over to stare down at it. “I—I’ve been here before?” 

“Yes.” Seonghwa motions for San’s arm again and this time the doll lifts it up for him to take. “Yunho brought you here to get you treated and looked at. You were half dead on my operating table the last time I saw you. And, to be honest, I thought you’d likely die like that.” He takes hold of San’s arm with a gentle grip and taps into his biomonitor to check his vitals. “Thankfully, you pulled through. I asked Yunho to bring you back for a follow up once you woke up.” 

“Oh.” San blinks at the ripperdoc’s unexpected response, and he releases the tension in his body. “Is that why I’m here?” 

“Yes.” Seonghwa pulls back as he disconnects from San’s biomonitor. “Physically everything seems okay,” he says as he turns to face Yunho. “But…” 

“Don’t,” the Nomad cuts him off before he can even begin. “I know. Trust me. He’s a weird one.” 

San’s breathing picks up suddenly, eyes filling with panic as he stares at Yunho’s profile. “I’m not—I’m not defective,” he protests quietly, fearful that the blond might think that way. And if he’s defective then what? Will he throw him away? Sell him to someone else? 

“Don’t mind him!” Seonghwa cuts in, suddenly blocking his view of Yunho when he steps in front of the doll again. “He doesn’t mean anything by it. He’s just never encountered a doll before.” 

“But,” San looks up at the ripperdoc and whispers, “I’m not defective. I’m still _good_. I can...still be of service. Of use.” 

“I know. No one’s saying you are,” Seonghwa reassures him. He lifts his hands up, hovering them next to the doll’s face without touching him. “Do you mind if I ask you about your chip?” he asks. 

San hesitates before turning his head to the side to bare his interface plug. The edge of the little purple chip peeking out of his interface. “What about it?” he asks. 

“I’m afraid there’s not much I can learn without removing it, but it’s locked. Uses a biometric fingerprint as a key.” He presses his fingers into San’s jawline and gently turns his head from side to side, studying the doll closely for any visual indication that the chip is active. “I don’t suppose you know how it works.” 

“Um, not—not really,” San stammers. “I didn’t even know it had a biometric lock on it. I’ve had it for as long as I can remember.” Yunho snorts behind Seonghwa and causes San to slump down, stuttering out excuses. “There was never a reason for me to know. It’s never once been removed.” 

“It’s okay. It’s fine.” Seonghwa pats him on the shoulder. “I just want to know anything that you do know about it. Do you know how it works?” 

San is quiet as he mulls over the question, shrinking down ever so further when Yunho looks at him. “I’m—I’m not sure what they are because I kinda black out personally when it happens, but I know it's a phrase activated and deactivated. It also...has a few other special functions.” 

“Such as?” Seonghwa prompts. 

“Built in obedience training.” San flexes and relaxes his ankle as he stares down at his feet. “And there was a stimulation program added to it. To increase libido, stamina, and general sensitivity.”

Seonghwa licks his lips because of course there would be a program like that built in. “The obedience training you mentioned. How did that work? I’ve not seen it personally before.” 

“It’s a behavioral adjustment feature. If I did something to displease Master it would help auto-correct.” 

Seonghwa grimaces and fights to maintain his composure while Yunho tugs on a strand of blond hair. What the fuck was up with this doll’s owner? “Do you know if anything might activate on its own if we’re not careful? What if someone were to get upset with you? Would that activate the obedience program?” 

“I don’t believe so.” San shakes his head as he struggles to recall how his doll implant worked. He never thought about it much. Didn’t need to. He just needed to be  _ good _ and he would be fed and sheltered and bathed. Maybe he should have paid more attention to his various implants. “That program was activated via a smartlink if I remember correctly.” 

“And the other? The actual doll program?” 

“I don’t know.” San shakes his head. “Like I said before, I black out during that time. I don’t know what happens.” His tone takes a tinge of panic, but Seonghwa is quick to placate him. 

“Alright. I understand. It’s okay. Just needed to get as much information as possible to try and help your situation.” 

“Is there anything you can do?” Yunho interjects then as he approaches the two of them. Immediately, San reaches for him again, pinching his coat sleeve between his thumb and index finger. This time Yunho doesn’t try to pull away or remove his touch, and San sags in relief. “I don’t like that chip bein’ in him.” 

“I don’t blame you.” Seonghwa crosses his arms to think. “I mean, the most straightforward method would be to simply get the biometric fingerprint required, but it might not be so easy if he’s a rich corpo.” 

“Are you saying there’s another option?” 

“I don’t know. Maybe.” Seonghwa shakes his head and shoos Yunho away when the Nomad presses him about it. “Let me think about it. It’s just a theoretical option right now, but if it’s doable I’ll let you know.” He moves to take a seat on his chair again, twisting around to face Yunho. “In the meantime we have other things we need to discuss.” 

  
  
  
  


Seonghwa makes them all a cup of coffee and moves them into his little kitchenette. San takes a sip of the bitter drink and immediately makes a face as he pushes it away in Yunho’s direction. Seonghwa giggles at his behavior. It fades as he stares down at his coffee when Yunho tells the doll to just drink it. With a pout on his lips, San takes back the cup of coffee and forces himself to drink it. 

“You should be careful with him,” Seonghwa murmurs. “Orders mean more to a doll than a merc.” 

Yunho glances at the ripperdoc before trailing his gaze over to San. He looks miserable as he stares at the half empty cup of coffee, and the blond sighs in exasperation. “Don’t drink it if you don’t like it,” he says. San fidgets with the coffee, seeming unsure of what to do with such a bitter drink. Seonghwa finally takes pity on him and motions for the doll to hand it over to him. He downs the rest of San’s coffee without protest. 

San stares down at the table, resolutely avoiding Yunho’s eyes when the blond stares at him. “Too bitter?” the Nomad asks him. 

San lifts his head up and nods his head. Yes, it was so bitter. It reminded him of all the medicine Master would give him when he was sick or the weird teas and other concoctions he would brew for San to maintain his health and stamina. “Yes. Really bitter,” he says. 

“It can taste better with some synth sugar, but Hwa never has that shit around,” Yunho remarks, smiling at the ripperdoc. 

“Adding sugar to your coffee is for the weak.” Seonghwa takes a large gulp of his own coffee this time, frowning at the bitter taste that lingers and coats his tongue. Nevermind the fact that he used to always have synthetic sugar lying around his apartment back when Hongjoong was over a lot because he liked his coffee sweetened just a little. He shakes his head to quickly abandon those memories. Fuck synth sugar. It’s for the weak. 

“Anyways, I figured we should probably discuss the cost of his treatment,” Seonghwa says as he casts a quick glance to San before meeting Yunho’s gaze. 

“How much?” the blond asks gruffly. 

“What? You’re going to pay it just like that?” Seonghwa is understandably surprised by Yunho’s charity. The Nomad is nice, relatively speaking, in comparison to the average mercenary or street runner like Jongho, but he’s also smart. He knows how to play his cards right, and is almost always willing to exchange favors for favors. Outright just paying for a doll’s treatment runs contrary to that philosophy, though, and it's a decision that they  _ all _ know won’t pay Yunho back. 

“Do you honestly think this guy’s got a single eurodollar to his name?” Yunho tilts his head in San’s direction, and the doll’s gaze drops down to his lap because he doesn’t have any money. “So just tell me how much.” 

“Well, kindness like that makes me feel like I have to repay you in kind,” Seonghwa jokes. He folds his arms on top of the table and leans in on them. “You don’t have to pay me, Yunho. I won’t ask you to pay when you did the right thing. I’ve got plenty of good business between you and the other people who come see me. I can eat the cost.” 

“No. I’m not gonna owe you for something I can pay. Just tell me your price.” Yunho shakes his head as he vehemently refuses Seonghwa’s offer. 

The ripperdoc sighs and sits back in his seat, eyes moving between the Nomad and the doll as he thinks. He understands Yunho even if the blond is being a total hypocrite. He won’t take the charity that’s offered to him because it’s not how that works out on the streets of Night City. He doesn’t want to feel like he owes Seonghwa something later down the line even though the ripperdoc is never going to hold that above his head. 

San, on the other hand, looks racked with guilt like he has the distinct feeling that he’s being a burden but unable to figure out how to undo that. If Seonghwa is honest, the doll is a burden to someone like Yunho. It’s not really his fault though. He’s just doing what he’s been trained to do. It’s not really his fault that it doesn’t help Yunho.

“I figured you’d be like that, so I think we should compromise.” He tilts his head back to take another sip of his coffee. 

“Name it.” Yunho drums his fingers against the tabletop, waiting for Seonghwa to continue. 

The ripperdoc stares down at the bottom of his mug thoughtfully before he lifts his eyes up to look at Yunho. “I’m not going to take a single eddie from you.” Yunho parts his lips, already ready to protest because this definitely didn’t feel like a compromise, but Seonghwa continues before the blond can even try. “However, I will take money from him.” He points at San who lifts his head up and blanches when he realizes the ripperdoc is referring to him. 

“Me?” San asks. “But—but I have no money!” 

“I know.” Seonghwa smiles at him. “But you’re going to have to find a job and make a living from now on, right? So pay me back when you have the money. Two-thousand eddies for your treatment and the biomon implant I gave you.” 

“Two—two-thousand?” San sinks down in his seat and nibbles on his lower lip. Where was he going to get two thousand eurodollars from? “Um, when’s the deadline for this?” he asks. 

“No deadline.” Seonghwa offers him a sympathetic smile. “Don’t stress about it completely. I’m not looking for it to be paid back right away, and I won’t add any interest to it. Just pay me back when you have the eddies.” 

“And you’re okay with that? Just eating the cost of two-thousand eddies until fuck knows when he’ll get that money.” Yunho raises his eyebrows at the ripperdoc, not understanding his nonchalance to the whole situation. It’d be a pain in the ass for him personally, but Yunho could pay Seonghwa that two-thousand. 

“Yes.” Seonghwa sets his mug down and grins at the blond. “I have plenty of good business, and believe it or not, I’m not exactly aching for money. Besides, think of it as motivation to figure out some kind of job he can do.” They both look at San who’s still chewing on his bottom lip as he desperately thinks of a way to try and make up two thousand eurodollars. “I think it’ll be good for him. And you need to figure out a way to get him on his feet, no?” 

“I guess so.” Yunho shoves his hands into his coat pocket and leans back into his chair as he tilts his head back to stare up at the ceiling. It still doesn’t sit right with him for some reason, but he knows Seonghwa won’t just take his money and drop the issue. “You got any ideas for a job for him by the way?” 

“Can’t say I do.” Seonghwa shakes his head. “I mean, nothing that I would want to suggest at any rate.” Yunho meets his stare across the table, but they both know what Seonghwa is referring to. 

“‘Kay. Well, guess we should get going and figure out this whole job thing.” Yunho pushes his chair back to stand up, and San jumps up to follow him. “I’ll have him pay you back in installments once he’s got some kind of income. That good?” 

“Works for me.” Seonghwa throws his arm over the back of his chair, waving the two of them off as they move to leave the kitchenette. “You know where to find me.” 

Yunho pauses at the exit of the kitchenette so suddenly that San runs into him with a little grunt. “Seonghwa,” the blond calls the ripperdoc as he turns back to face him. Humming, Seonghwa tilts his head back to look at him. Hesitating, Yunho glances down at the doll beside him and digs through his pocket for his car keys. “Wait in the car for me, kay? Need to talk to Hwa for a sec.” San tentatively takes the keys from Yunho before he nods his head curtly and scurries on his way. 

“What was that about?” Seonghwa asks. 

“Hongjoong.” Yunho just has to say the Fixer’s name for the ripperdoc to freeze before his expression drops. “Are you sure he don’t got eyes on you?” 

With a sigh, Seonghwa sits upright before he leans across the table to gather up all the abandoned coffee cups. “I know he’s got eyes on me. I’m not stupid.” He stands and brings the cups over to the sink. “It’d just be a waste of my time trying to figure out who those eyes belong to. Just wish I knew what the fuck he wanted.” He spins around to lean against the counter, cocking his head at the blond. “Why? What’s brought this on suddenly?” 

Yunho briefly hesitates before he says, “He contacted me.” 

Seonghwa startles at the confession. “He contacted you? About me?” 

“Offered me a job to keep an eye on you. Told him no, but just thought you should know.” 

The ripperdoc crosses his arms over his chest and takes a moment to process this new information. “Did he say anything more specific? What exactly did he want?” 

Yunho shakes his head and responds, “Not really. He just said he would pay on a regular basis for information on you.” 

“Hmm. And how did he respond when you said no?” Seonghwa looks at the blond curiously. 

“Dunno.” Yunho scratches behind his ear. “He didn’t seem all that disappointed.” Looking back on it now, Yunho remembers that Hongjoong had been smiling like he’d been pleased about something. 

Seonghwa nods his head. “Okay. Thank you for telling me.” 

  
  
  
  


Yunho lights a cigarette and leans out his window to watch the sun set. It’s an absolutely shitty view to behold, but it’s somehow still relaxing. What rays of sunshine make it through the pollution clouds and other tall buildings warm his face. It’s been such a long day it feels like. San had woken up so early in the morning it was almost hard to think it had been the same day. He takes a long and slow drag of his cigarette, holding it for a moment before quietly expelling the smoke. 

Beside him, San is kneeled on the floor holding his head in his hands. The doll is shaking, clearly stressed out despite Seonghwa’s reassurance not to. He turns to grab onto one of Yunho’s pant legs, tugging on it like a baby seeking attention. 

Yunho looks down at him, cigarette still between his lips. He hums in question, prompting the doll to speak. “Two-thousand...Master how do I get two-thousand eurodollars?” 

The blond pulls the cigarette out from his lips and blows his smoke in San’s direction. “What’d you call me?” he asks. 

“Master—Yunho,” San quickly corrects. “Yunho. Yunho, I’m sorry. I just don’t know how I can—how do I get two thousand eurodollars to pay for my treatment?” 

With a sigh, Yunho lowers himself to the floor to sit next to the doll. “Dunno. What can you do? ‘Sides being a doll, I mean. Work ain’t easy to come by in this city.” He lifts the cigarette back to his lips as San racks his brain for an answer to Yunho’s question. 

“I—what about a joytoy? How much do they make?” 

“No.” Yunho shoots down immediately, mumbling his answer around his cigarette. “You’re not going to work as a joytoy.” 

“But it’s not so different from a doll, right? And can’t I make money that way?” 

Yunho tilts his head back to release a breath, smoking falling from his lips and curling around his jawline and bangs. “Nevermind the fact that you’ll barely make a living as a joytoy, do you really want to do that? Sell yourself to strangers for who knows how long until you pay Seonghwa back and then what? You still gotta make a living on your own. That how you plan to do it?” 

“Well…” San trails off. Even ignoring the fact that it wouldn’t be the best option for San to go back there, there’s the very real probability that Wooyoung will very much kill him if he finds out San is sitting on a street corner trying to sell himself for eddies. “No. I guess I don’t, but, well, what else can I do?” 

“Don’t think about it too hard. Just gotta find something you can do that someone’s willing to pay for.” 

“But what can I do?” San persists. 

Laughing at the doll’s question, Yunho tilts his head back against the wall and takes another drag of his cigarette. “Ain’t that the million dollar question?” He huffs another laugh as smoke pours from his lips. 

“Yunho.” San prods him on the arm as he whispers his name. “I don’t want to be a burden. I don’t want to be useless to you.” 

The blond lolls his head to the side to look at San. His cigarette is nearly to the butt, but it’s still burning. The smell of tobacco is thick and pungent in the apartment, not easily escaping from the tiny apartment. San resists the urge to wrinkle his nose at the scent. “You can want those things, but it don’t mean you aren’t,” Yunho tells him. The doll’s expression is stricken by his words, but Yunho doesn’t seem to notice as he snuffs his cigarette out on the floor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just keep listening to the cyberpunk radio volumes and writing this lol. I hope it's still an enjoyable and interesting story you guys. 
> 
> Feel free to talk or ask me questions on my [cc](https://curiouscat.me/Vit_Writes)!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really have no summary and nothing to say this chapter. Idk :(

The air between them remains tense for the next few days, at least on San’s part. The doll is walking on eggshells around the Nomad who is either oblivious or doesn’t care that he is. San sleeps on the bed while Yunho opts to stretch himself out on the couch, and during the day San watches both curiously and helplessly as Yunho empties a little storage room just next to his closet. 

They still haven’t figured out a job for San yet. The doll is consumed with worries about how he’s going to pay off his debt to the ripperdoc, only able to catch a break from those thoughts when he watches Yunho work on emptying that little storage room. 

It’s torture. 

With his Master, San had known how to please. He knew how to behave to keep his Master satisfied with his work and his gaze away during the time the doll was left on his own, but Yunho was different. San couldn’t tell how to please the Nomad. One minute, he would appear tolerant, concerned for San’s well-being, maybe even nice is the right word. But the next he would speak to San in biting remarks and respond to his questions with scathing remarks. 

San had yet to figure out a pattern to the change in his behavior so adjusting accordingly hasn’t been possible. There’s also the fact that Yunho rejects all offers and attempts by the doll to provide his services,  _ something _ to make San feel like he’s not worthless, but the blond never budges. Doesn’t even seem all that interested in San or his body no matter how many times San attempts to upsell his finer qualities. 

All this to say that the second Yunho tells him to do something—pick that up, take this over to the door, just leave it outside the door—San scrambles to obey, eager to get on the Nomad’s good side. 

But then, one day, someone calls Yunho on his holo and San watches from where he’s sitting in front of the coffee table as the blond talks with the person on the other line. San observes the person on the holo carefully, tilting his head at the way he seems to speak to Yunho with some degree of familiarity. A sense of friendliness that Yunho’s curt responses and stiff body language doesn’t reciprocate. 

He shrinks down a little when Yunho turns, but he turns in the opposite direction of the doll, pacing over to the bed with the sheets neatly tucked in the way San does every morning. For a brief moment the doll is in frame, and he can’t be sure, but he swears the man on the holo spares him a glance before quickly returning his attention to Yunho. If he notices San or is curious about him, he doesn’t ask, and once their conversation is over Yunho quickly hangs up on him before he turns to head back over to the closet and the door to his little storage room. 

San perks up as Yunho heads over for that room, wondering if there’s anything he can help the blond with. The door slides open with a muted hiss as San slowly crawls over in case Yunho might need anything. Except the blond emerges with a long rifle slung over his shoulder, and San immediately cowers away when his eyes land on the weapon. 

Yunho pauses just beside the doll as a thought crosses his mind. “Gonna need to find a new place to keep this,” he murmurs to himself. Then he turns his attention to San. “I gotta job. Gonna be gone for a while. You stay here, okay?” He reaches down to ruffle the doll’s dark hair before pulling away, but San catches him by the hand shyly. 

“What—what should I do while you’re away?” he asks. 

“Don’t make a mess. Don’t cause trouble.” Yunho notices the way San sits up straight suddenly, raptly paying attention to Yunho’s words. He’s reminded of Wooyoung’s words and Seonghwa’s advice, and he thinks he’s finally starting to understand. At least a little bit. San seems to be running exclusively on orders. “Eat if you get hungry,” he adds carefully. “If you need something two doors down from here,” Yunho points in the direction that he’s referring to, “is where Wooyoung lives. Go to him if you need anything. Don’t talk to anyone else. I showed you where some of the vending machines are around here, but if you wanna go down to the street level for food you take Wooyoung with you.” 

San nods his head eagerly to all of Yunho’s instructions. The blond takes a moment to regard him, thinking about anything else he might need or might need Yunho to tell him to do while he’s gone for the day. “Oh. The key. You probably need access to the keypad to get back in if you leave. Here, I’ll upload it for you.” Their eyes both glow a bright blue as Yunho uploads access to his apartment to San. 

“You gonna be fine on your own?” Yunho asks as he heads for the door. 

“Yes.” San trails after him. “I heard all your orders. I’ll be good while you’re away.” 

Yunho holds in a sigh. It’s not really the response that he’s looking for, but he figures that it’s good enough. “Dunno when I’ll be back.” 

“Okay. I’ll be good until you get back,” San assures him again. 

“Right.” Yunho gives him an awkward nod of his head as a form of goodbye before he heads out the door. He spares the doll one last look before his door slides closed. San looks small and out of place, seemingly lost as Yunho leaves him behind. The blond wonders if San will really be okay. No, more than that, he wonders if the doll has what it takes to survive in this city. 

  
  
  
  


San finally leaves the apartment when the hunger gets the best of him. There’s only a tiny little kitchen in the apartment that San quickly learns is disappointingly empty. There’s nothing to really eat in there. Besides, Yunho told him to eat if he got hungry and that he could leave the apartment if he wanted to eat. His only stipulation was to bring Wooyoung with him if he went to the street level and not to talk to anyone. Other than that, it’s fine if he leaves the apartment for a little bit, right? 

The first time San opens the door to peek his head out, a gruff-looking man who’d been passing by shoots him a less than friendly look. San ducks back inside and cowers beneath the desk for a solid twenty minutes before his stomach rumbles again, reminding him that he still needs to eat. 

The doll crawls out from his hiding spot slowly, eyeing the door suspicious as he approaches it more carefully this time. He presses his ear against it in an attempt to listen for any signs of someone outside, but, unlike Yunho, he doesn’t have any auditory implants. It sounds quiet enough, so San tentatively opens the door and pokes his head outside again. This time he spies only one woman leaning against the balcony rail with her holo in one hand and a beer in the other. 

Taking a deep breath, San steps outside the apartment and startles when the door slides shut behind him. He momentarily panics when the resident casts him a look before quickly losing interest and returning her attention to her holo to carry on a muffled conversation. Holding his hands to his chest, San scurries off in the direction of the vending machines Yunho showed him before. 

The vending machines in Night City sold a surprising variety of foods and drinks. They weren’t nearly as good as the hot meals you could get at the street vendors, but they were decent and did the trick according to Yunho. San’s eyes roam over the various machines lining the end of the balcony as he decides what to eat. He ultimately settles on the first thing Yunho had shown him how to purchase from one of these machines, a corn dog, because at least he’s certain he knows how to buy it. 

He’s on his way back to the apartment, nibbling on the end of the corn dog when he hears it, a pitiful mewl that immediately catches San’s attention. The doll freezes before turning in the direction of the noise. He spies a tiny and starved cat gracefully balanced on the balcony rail. Its black and white fur is matted with dirt and mud, and it meows at San again when the doll looks at it. 

San jolts at the noise, quickly scanning the balcony but there’s no one else around. The cat meows again, louder this time, and his heart twists at the sound. He approaches the cat cautiously. It crouches down, the hairs on its back standing on end, and hisses in warning. San freezes, hand partially outstretched to touch, but the cat hisses at him again. 

He drops his hand to his side and stares at the creature, trying to determine what it wants exactly. The cat mewls, green eyes fixated on the corn dog in San’s hand. “Ah. Are you hungry?” He holds the corn dog out to the creature. The cat stretches its neck to sniff at the proffered food before trying to take a little bite, but it doesn’t seem all that interested once it has a taste. 

San takes back the corn dog, frowning at it. Is his food the problem? “Oh. Wait here. I’ll get you something a cat would like,” he tells it before he runs back to the vending machines. 

He scurries back to the cat with a can of tuna in hand this time. The cat mewls when he returns and lifts a paw up to swipe at its eyes. San coos and feels himself melt at the adorable sight. “Here.” He moves slowly as he sets the can down close to the cat, and he tells himself that he isn’t breaking any of Yunho’s rules because talking to a cat doesn’t count, right? 

He opens the lid and then stands back a couple of steps to give the cat some room. It moves slowly, one paw forward before pausing to take a tentative sniff. Then another paw forward and another twitch of its nose. San watches with bated breath as the cat slowly moves toward the can until it's right in front of the food. It sniffs the canned fish, and San briefly wonders if it will even eat. Maybe synthetic food isn’t good enough, but then the cat starts nibbling on the food, and San nearly jumps for joy. 

“You must have been really hungry, huh?” San remarks as he watches the cat quickly devour most of the canned fish in seconds. “I can only get you this today though, okay? Yunho only gave me a small amount of money for food. And I probably have to pay him back for it too,” he murmurs the last part in a pout, stressing out as he thinks about his ever mounting pile of debt. 

Wooyoung stretches his arms above his head as he steps out of his apartment for a smoke break. Dropping his arms to his sides, he digs his hand into his back pocket where he stuffed his pack of cigarettes on his way out. He heads for the balcony, grabbing one cigarette by the butt with his teeth. He’s digging for his lighter he put in his front pocket when something catches his attention from the corner of his eye. 

He turns to look, bringing the lighter closer, and smiles when he spies a familiar doll down the hall. “Oi, Sannie!” He calls out, pulling the cigarette from his mouth and holding it up to wave at the doll. San turns to look over his shoulder when his name is called and blinks when he recognizes Wooyoung. “Hey. Whatcha doing out here?” He jogs over to the doll who fidgets in place. 

“U-um.” Yunho told him to go to Wooyoung if he needed something so talking to him wouldn’t be against the rules either, right? “I was just getting some food and then I saw—” San turns to motion to the cat and promptly shuts his mouth when all he sees is the empty can of tuna. It’s been licked clean, not even a scrap of fish left. 

“And then what?” Wooyoung asks when San doesn’t finish his thought. 

“Um. Nothing.” San smiles when he looks back at Wooyoung. “It was nothing.” 

“Huh.” Wooyoung places the cigarette back in his mouth and finally lights it up. He pauses when he notices San’s stare before quickly scrambling for his pocket again. “Shit. Sorry. Did you want one?” 

San shakes his head before Wooyooung can fish out his cigarettes. “No, I don’t—I’m not allowed to smoke.” 

“Oh, yeah?” Wooyoung withdraws his hand and expels the smoke from his lungs. “My bad. You looked like you wanted one, and it’s not like Yunho will care. He smokes too, ya know.” 

“I know.” San looks at the ground. Yunho has smoked plenty around him. He’s got nothing against. He’s just surprised Wooyoung does it. “I’m just...shocked that you smoke since you’re a doll too.” 

“I’m not a doll,” Wooyoung answers automatically. He’s not. He’s _not_. “Not anymore at least.” 

“Oh. I’m sorry. I just thought we were the same.” San scratches the back of his neck and feels silly for thinking such a thing in the first place. Wooyoung is so much more comfortable and confident with himself. San knows that they’re clearly different, but they were both dolls. He’d just assumed. 

“Sure. In some ways,” Wooyoung agrees with a little grin. “And in some ways we’re not alike at all. For example, being a doll never stopped me from smoking. Just wasn’t allowed to do it on the clock.” He pulls the cigarette from his lips, puckering his lips as he tilts his head back and blows smoke out up into the sky. “Your Master seems like he was hella strict though. Didn’t even let you have a cig. Heartless bastard.” 

“He worried it would ruin my voice.” San reaches up to place a hand at the base of his throat. “He didn’t like that thought because he liked how I sounded in—in bed.” 

Wooyoung tsks, bringing the cigarette back to his lips. “Everything he did to you was about taking the most pleasure from you with the least investment, huh?” 

“I was his doll,” San says weakly. 

“Being a doll is a _job_.” Wooyoung sighs in frustration before taking a long drag of his cigarette. “Or it should be.” If only more people would just look at it that way and respect it. San is quiet in response and Wooyoung feels bad for raising his voice at him like that. “Hey, you wanna come over to my place for a bit? We can talk and have, like, a coffee or something.” 

“Um.” San hesitates and thinks about rejecting Wooyoung’s offer. He doesn’t want to be a burden, and he makes a face at the thought of coffee. So bitter and unbearable. But then he thinks about the fact that Yunho clearly trusts Wooyoung so that means that they’re friends or something, right? Maybe Wooyoung can provide more insight on Yunho. Maybe San might finally be able to figure the blond out. So he nods his head and replies, “Yes. I would love to.” 

  
  
  
  


Wooyoung’s apartment is messier than Yunho’s. San finds himself tiptoeing around a variety of empty canned drinks—coffee, energy drinks, alcohol—and various wires and plugs stretched out across the floor. “Sorry for the mess. Cleaning day is supposed to be tomorrow,” Wooyoung apologizes as he kicks a few cans to clear the way over to the couch. “Can I get you anything?” 

“Um, just water is fine.” San makes his way over to the couch without knocking anything over and breathes a little sigh of relief when he finally sinks down on the couch. Wooyoung joins him a minute later with a water bottle which he hands to San and an energy drink that he keeps for himself. 

“So. How are you doing?” Wooyoung cracks his drink open and tilts his head back as he gulps down half of it in one go. San watches him, impressed. He looks down to fiddle with the cap of his own bottle when Wooyoung pulls his drink away and looks at him curiously. 

“I don’t know. Fine, I guess,” he murmurs. “I have to pay back the ripperdoc Yunho took me to, but I don’t know how I’m going to do that.” He brings his knees up to his chest as he finally twists off the cap of his water bottle. “I need to make two-thousand eurodollars somehow,” he mumbles around the lip of the bottle before he takes a sip. 

“Two-thousand eddies, huh?” Wooyoung cups his chin in his hand and takes a smaller sip of his drink. “I’m guessing you and Yunho haven’t thought of a way to do that yet?” 

“No,” San sighs dejectedly. “I thought about selling my services, but Yunho didn’t like that idea. He said no as soon as I suggested it.” 

Wooyoung chokes on his drink and pulls it away from his mouth as he coughs, pounding a fist against his chest. Bless Yunho’s heart. “Yeah. Definitely agree with Yunho on that one.” 

“Really?” 

“You wouldn’t make very much money selling yourself on the street like that. Not without the backing of a playhouse, but they would take a good chunk of your pay and the contract they’d bind you with wouldn’t make you much different than what you were before. You might even end up back with Scavs if you go down that path.” San gasps at the suggestion and curls up into a ball to suppress the fear fueled shiver that crawls down his spine. “Then there’s the fact that working the streets can be just as dangerous if you’re not careful. Yunho managed to get you out of all that when he took you from those Scavs. Going back would be a waste.” 

“But,” San hunches down to rest his chin on top of his knees, “then what should I do?” 

Wooyoung hesitates, not quite ready to throw out his own suggestion because it’s not as if filming porn braindances would be all that far off from what Wooyoung just advised him to avoid. “Well...guess I can’t give you an answer for that, but trust me when I say it’s entirely possible to find something new. I did it, so you can too.” 

“Ah.” San perks up and peers at Wooyoung with curious eyes. “You mentioned before that you used to be a doll. Does that mean you aren’t one any more? You left your Master?” 

Wooyoung smiles at the doll, amused by his questions. “Yeah. I was a playhouse doll though. Left the organization when I was done being one.” 

San’s lips part in awe at his words. “Wow. Do playhouses just allow you to go when you don’t want to work as a doll any more?” It was such a foreign concept to him and ran contrary to basically everything he knew or was taught by his Master. He had always been certain that he would die in servitude. He nearly had if not for Yunho’s kindness, and it finally strikes San why Yunho and Wooyoung are against his idea of taking up a job as a joytoy. 

“Very rarely,” Wooyoung answers. “If they don’t have much to lose by letting you go or if they find someone else who can replace you, sure, but most dolls either break before then or aren’t given the chance to leave. I never knew what happened to those dolls, but we all had our theories.” He glances at San who meets his gaze for a few seconds before he understands what Wooyoung is implying. 

“How did you do it then?” San unfurls his legs to drape them over the couch, and he scoots closer to Woooyoung. “What do you do now?” 

Wooyoung smiles fondly as he twirls his wrist around, moving his canned drink in little circles. “I had help getting out like you, and now I work as a braindance editor.” 

San lights up at his answer. “A braindance editor?” He scoots closer to Wooyoung again. “Have you ever worked on one of those famous movies? Or with a celebrity? What’s it like being a braindance editor?” 

“Oh. It’s nothing exciting.” Wooyooung waves him off and laughs at San’s question. “And I only work as an editor, so I rarely interact with the actors. I don’t need to. But I also don’t work for any kind of big name studio, so I hate to disappoint, but I’ve never actually met a celebrity.” 

“Oh.” San deflates a little, clearly disappointed by Wooyoung’s response. “I don’t know that I could be a braindance editor though. I’m not good at that kind of thing.” 

“S’okay,” Wooyoung assures him. “I’m sure we can find something you can do.” 

San hangs his head down low. “I don’t know about that. Being a doll is the only thing I know how to do, and I’m starting to realize that a doll is completely useless to Yunho.” He plays with the folds in his pants self-consciously. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to make Yunho happy.” 

Wooyoung giggles into his fist, startling San who perks up at the sound. “You’re so cute,” he coos at the doll. “You want to please Yunho so badly. It’s adorable.” It’s also probably a trained response. 

San’s face heats up in embarrassment, but he can’t deny that Wooyoung caught him. “You’re friends with them, right?” San asks tentatively. “Jongho and Yunho. They saved me.” 

“Hmm.” Wooyoung downs the rest of his energy drink before carelessly tossing it to the floor with the rest of his empty cans. “Yeah. Guess you could say I’m friends with Yunho. I’ve basically known him since he moved to Night City.” San puffs his cheeks out in annoyance as jealousy flares up rough and powerful in his chest. Wooyoung giggles again because his jealousy is so obvious. It’s written all over his face. He decides to show the doll some mercy. “But Jongho...I’ve known him for much longer, and he’d probably kill me if I said he was just my friend.” Wooyoung grins at San who lights up when he remembers something. 

“He’s your fiance!” the doll exclaims. 

Wooyoung sputters and chokes at the accusation. “Where—where’d you get that idea from?” 

“Last time we talked you said something about a proposal,” San points out. 

Wooyoung blinks at him before he bursts out into a boisterous laugh, head thrown back and a hand pressed to his stomach. He’s surprised San would remember and latch onto such a detail. “Well, someday hopefully,” he admiits with a little smile once his laughter has died down some. “Maybe when we finally have some money, and I don’t have to worry everyday about whether or not he’ll make it back home. For now though he’s just my boyfriend.” Wooyoung’s smile is tight and tinged with a hint of sadness this time. 

San reaches out to place a hand on his arm in a gesture of comfort. It’s his training kicking in more than anything else. Wooyoung knows this, can recognize it easily, but he appreciates the gesture nevertheless and covers San’s hand with his own. “One day,” the doll tells him, “I hope you won’t have to worry about those things.” 

“Thank you.” Wooyoung grins at him. “I have faith that Jongho will make it big in this city one day. And then—and then…” he trails off into a sigh. 

As if sensing the necessity to change the subject, San asks, “What about Yunho? What do you know about him?” 

Wooyoung hums and allows his hand to drop back to his side, but he stays still until San pulls away voluntarily. “I’m afraid I don’t know much. Yuyu doesn’t really like to talk about himself or where he came from.” He crosses his legs together on the couch and grabs hold of both his ankles as he sits up straight. “I know he’s a Nomad, came to the city ‘cause he lost his clan. Never did say if they joined up with one of them Nomad nations or if something else happened.” 

“What did he come to Night City for?” San cocks his head to the side. 

“Make a living, carve out a space for his name. Same as everyone else, no?” 

“You think so?” 

The corner of Wooyoung’s lips curve up into a sly smile and he leans over into San’s space. “You think it’s something else?” 

San shakes his head furiously, flailing his arms in denial. “No! Not at all. I don’t know what Yunho is thinking at all. I….it’s really hard to get a read on him sometimes, and I guess that’s maybe the problem.” He twirls a strand of black hair around one of his fingers and slumps his shoulders. “I can’t read him. I can’t tell what he wants, so it’s not easy to be of service. If I can’t do anything else right now, I want to at least be able to offer my services to him.” 

Wooyoung smirks at the resolve in San’s voice no matter how misguided it might be. He shakes his head at the doll’s expressed desires. “You’re so cute,” he murmurs into his hand. “But you’re thinking about this all wrong.” 

San furrows his brows together in confusion. “What do you mean? I—what else can I do?” 

“You said it yourself, remember? Yunho doesn’t need a doll.” San’s breath hitches at those words, a momentary panic overtaking him. He had to be needed. If he wasn’t then he would just be thrown aside like last time. But what could he do to be needed if his very existence wasn’t needed. “He needs you to be a person,” Wooyoung tells him gently. 

San blinks, looking over to the other man. “I don’t...what do you mean?” 

“I mean, if you want to say something, say it. If you need something, take it. If you have an idea, speak up.” Wooyoung smiles brightly when San tilts his head to the side. “I know that you’re a doll and that you probably don’t have a lot of skills, but maybe you can find ways to transfer those skills into something useful. You just gotta think about it. And, if nothing else, Yunho will probably like you more if you do that.”

San perks up at the idea of Yunho liking him so much so that Wooyoung very nearly falls into another laughing fit. “He’d...like that?” 

“Sure. You’re a doll. He doesn’t know what to do with a doll. How to take care of them. What they need. What they can do. But he knows people. It would probably make him more comfortable.” 

“Okay,” San says eagerly. “I can do that!” 

“Good. I’m glad to hear.” 

“But Wooyoung.” San stares at the smile on Wooyoung’s face with a concerned expression of his own. “How do I act more human?” 

  
  
  
  


It’s a painfully slow and awkward process, not helped by the fact that Wooyoung didn’t have great advice for him in the end. “Well, you are human so just...be more assertive about it!” San didn’t know what that meant. He still isn’t sure what it means, but he tries his best because he wants Yunho to like him. He’s desperate for it. 

The first time he thinks he does something right is when Yunho is going through his typical routine with San before he leaves for a job, reminding him of the rules and that he needs to eat if he’s hungry. “I know!” San blurts out half-way through. “You—you don’t have to worry about me. I know what I’m doing now!” 

Yunho blinks at the doll, shocked into silence by his outburst. It’s understandable. San is never like this, and Yunho worries that if he forgets an order San might do something silly like starve himself for a day because he’d never been told explicitly to eat. Plus, San rarely ever spoke first and never interrupted Yunho. “So...you’re good then?” 

“Yes! I’ll be good. Don’t—don’t worry about me. I’m fine.” I’m not a burden, he wants to add but doesn’t, scared that it might remind Yunho of the very fact that he  _ is _ indeed a burden. 

“Okay.” Yunho says lightly as he adjusts the strap of his rifle on his shoulder. “I’ll see you later then.” 

“Ah. Be safe!” San calls as the mercenary leaves the apartment. He’s still overwhelmed by a sense of loneliness when Yunho leaves, but he feels a swell of pride in his stomach that he had caught Yunho off guard. It’s an odd feeling that he doesn’t try to crush for once. That’s what Wooyoung had told him to do, and Yunho hadn’t seemed angry with him. 

But despite everything, San continues to follow a similar routine as always. He tells Yunho that he doesn’t need to remind him of everything anymore, but San still follows those unspoken rules. He remains inside the apartment for the most part, only ever venturing out in search of food from the vending machine. He even sees the cat most days, stopping by to give it some food before it inevitably ventures off. San isn’t sure where it goes the rest of the time, but it’s always there waiting for him around the afternoon for lunch. 

One of the other unspoken rules San continues to follow is the avoidance of all the other neighbors of the megabuilding. San ducks his head down and runs past anyone if they’re outside while he is. The only person he talks to is Wooyoung who invites him over from time to time when he needs a break from work. 

“Huh? Is that a cat?” 

San startles at the question and accidentally smacks the cat upside its chin which he had been scratching previously. The cat hisses in displeasure, back arching up as it stares at Wooyoung. “You scared me,” San says. 

“Sorry.” Wooyoung smiles at him. “I didn’t know there was a cat around here. Is it one of those newer models?” He tilts his head to the side, his eyes turning a warm amber shade as he runs a scan over the creature. Animals had mostly died out with ever increasing global temperatures and environmental havoc brought about as a result. The various global wars hadn’t helped matters either, and many of the once common pet animals disappeared decades ago. 

In their place were robots designed to look and act like their real life counterparts had back when they’d existed, but those cyber pets were usually for the elite who could afford one. Few people living in the slums would even care enough to get one in the first place, so Wooyoung is surprised to see one hanging around except—

“Oh.” He blinks as he finishes the scan on the creature. “It’s alive.” 

“What do you mean?” San furrows his eyebrows together in confusion. 

There’s a delayed moment between Wooyoung fully processing that this is not a cybernetic cat in front of him and the realization that it is very much _alive_. He jumps back with a little shriek and repeats, “It’s fucking alive!” 

The cat hisses at him again like he views Wooyoung as one big annoyance before it turns around and runs away. Wooyoung squeaks when it goes while San simply sends it off with a wave of his hand. 

“Dude, what is that thing?” Woooyoung asks when the cat is gone. 

“Huh? It’s just a cat.” 

“It’s not just a cat!” Wooyoung adamantly shakes his head, still trembling at the results of his scan. Whether from excitement or something else, he can’t tell though. “It’s a  _ real _ cat. Not one of those cybernetic pets. It’s a real, live cat!” 

“I thought all pets were cybernetic though,” San points out. 

“Me too! But that one isn’t. Have you ever seen it before?” Wooyoung’s eyes shine with curiosity and excitement. 

“Yeah.” San nods his head in answer. “I see it almost every day. I think it’s looking for food.” 

“Next time, come get me when you see it!” Wooyoung prods the doll on the arm, pestering him to promise him that until San agrees. “I never thought I’d see a real animal in my life!” 

It takes a few days of this before San starts tentatively adding to his routine. He makes the bed every morning after he gets up—an old habit of his from when he’d lived with his Master—but he never touched any of Yunho’s things for fear of retribution. 

Yunho isn’t a particularly messy person, but he’s not as neat and orderly as San’s old Master who hired a whole staff to keep his penthouse nice and tidy for him. Everything was immaculate and orderly. Every item had a place and not a speck of dust was to be found. Hell, even after play time, Master would always send him off to be washed and would have his sheets changed immediately.

In comparison to that Yunho is messy. He leaves things lying around and constantly moves items from one place to another. San notices just how cluttered his desk is when his computer won’t stop pinging with new messages. He doesn’t have a passcode to it, and he doesn’t want to look anyways, not interested in snooping around Yunho’s things, but the pings keep drawing his attention over to the desk and, each time it does, San notices just how cluttered the space is. 

So, without prompting, San cleans and reorganizes the area. He doesn’t touch any other part of the apartment after that even though the coffee table and closet are starting to bother him, and when Yunho comes home that evening, San ducks into the little alcove with the bed and waits with bated breath for the blond to notice. 

Will he be angry that San touched his things without permission? Will he be grateful that San finally did something useful? He peeks out of his little corner when Yunho doesn’t say anything and spies the Nomad standing by the desk, eyes sweeping over it. He noticed. He must have. There’s no way he hasn’t. 

“Ah.” But then Yunho just reaches out to grab his silver cigarette case from the corner where San had propped it up neatly against the wall and heads over to the window. He spares San a curious glance when he passes by. “Everything good?” he asks. 

San squeaks and quickly nods his head. 

“Thought of anything yet?” 

Hanging his head low, San doesn’t answer. 

  
  
  
  


It’s on a day off that Yunho finally finishes whatever he’s been planning with his little room. San watches him quietly from the couch as he finally removes the last of the boxes from the room and sorts through them to divide the contents into a pile he deems useful and a pile he deems trash. 

“Okay.” He stands up and grabs his rifle from where it’s propped up next to the door. 

San blinks at him from the couch and ducks down to hide himself behind it. “Did a new job come in?” he asks curiously. 

“No. We’re going out.” Yunho beckons him over with a crook of his finger. 

San hesitates before sliding off the couch and meekly walking up to Yunho. “Where are we going?” He eyes the gun slung over Yunho casually. 

“Shopping,” Yunho responds. 

San stares at him for a brief moment. Shopping? “Then why are you bringing that?” he blurts out, pointing to the rifle Yunho is carrying. 

“It’s necessary. People pull all kinds of stupid shit in this city.”

San shivers at his words, suddenly scared to leave the apartment to go anywhere. Now that he thinks about it his last Master’s bodyguards were always armed with some kind of gun as well, discreet or otherwise depending on the situation. “What are we going shopping for?” he asks. 

“A bed. Sheets.” He opens the door and steps outside. 

“A bed? What for?” San trails after the blond, following him over to the elevator. 

“Gonna turn that room into a second bedroom. You can have it.” 

San nearly trips over his feet at Yunho’s words, and he stumbles into the blond’s back. “Huh? You’re going to make it into a little bedroom? For me?”

Yunho shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly and guides the doll into the elevators when the doors slide open. “Well, you’re here for now, and I’m growing kind of sick of sleeping on the couch. Besides, I figured you might need your own space.” He looks down at San who quickly turns away as the elevator descends. 

“But won’t that be expensive?” San asks, already feeling dejected when he thinks about how much his debt to Seonghwa and Yunho only continues to grow, and he still hasn’t thought of a way to make money. 

“Don’t worry about that,” Yunho reassures him as they step out into the parking garage. San follows Yunho over to his Thornton and climbs into the passenger seat without being told to. “The guy we’re going to owes me something. Shouldn’t cost much if anything at all.”

They go to a bustling street market in Kabuki where San learns that by “owe” Yunho means the guy once ripped the Nomad off, and Yunho was looking for some compensation in return. “So about that time you sold me that defective implant.” San cowers behind the Nomad as he points his rifle in the man’s direction. 

“L-listen,” the shopkeeper stammers, holding his hands up in surrender. “It was a misunderstanding!”

“Misunderstanding?” Yunho scoffs. “My ripperdoc caught the virus on that chip. Woulda ruined all my hardware had I installed that shit. You must have known that. Wanted so badly for me to get it installed by a ripperdoc you’re good friends with too, ‘member? I wonder why.” Yunho grins at him with his teeth, looking much more like he’s baring his teeth at him than anything else. 

San shivers at the Nomad’s behavior, but he stays still and quiet, wondering if this outing is really going to end in a gunfight. Would he survive it? He takes a quick glance of the little store the merchant is set up in. There’s not a lot of good hiding spots. 

“Let’s be reasonable here,” the man reasons. He snatches a nearby pan and holds it up like it might protect him from a bullet. I’m just a junk salesman. You know that. I sell whatever comes my way. Of course—” He squeaks in fear when Yunho puts pressure on the trigger. “Of course I knew I was selling a defective product! I apologize sincerely. Perhaps I can offer you something in exchange and we can forget the whole thing ever happened, huh? What do you say?” 

With a smirk, Yunho lowers his rifle and takes a step back. “Now you’re finally making sense. I’m glad we could figure something out like reasonable adults.” The shopkeeper grimaces at Yunho’s words while San stares up at the Nomad in a mixture of confusion and awe. Is this how reasonable people come to an agreement? 

“What can I get you to make this whole thing disappear, hm?” The man clasps his hands together and holds them up to his cheek. 

“A bed, sheets, pillows, and a blanket,” Yunho lists off on his fingers. “Anything else that’s suitable for a small bedroom. I want it delivered to my place.” 

“All that for a little misunderstanding?” the merchant complains. “That’s hardly fair!” 

Yunho threatens to lift his gun up again, and the man quickly back tracks. “That’s what I thought. No more complaints, right?” 

“None! Absolutely none! I’ll have all that delivered to you by the end of the day. Don’t you worry.” 

By the end of the night, they’ve fully converted that room into a small private bedroom for San who huddles beneath his new blanket and stares at the industrial-looking lamp on the nightstand the merchant had sent along with everything else. “What do you think?” Yunho scans the room, looking pleased with himself. 

San hugs a pillow to his chest. “I like it,” he says quietly. “I’m sorry.” He meets Yunho’s eyes when the blond looks down after hearing his apology. “I’m sorry for taking up your space up until this point.” 

“No need to apologize.” Yunho shrugs him off. “You needed your own place to be eventually. Anyways, I’ll let you get settled. I’m tired from all this anyways.” 

“Ah! Um. Yunho.” San grabs the Nomad by his shirt sleeve to stop him from leaving just yet. Yunho looks back at him expectantly. “Thank you.” San smiles at him warmly. “I really like this, so thank you. One day I’ll repay you for everything you’ve done for me.” 

“Ey. Don’t make promises you can’t ever keep. As if you could ever pay me back for everything.” Despite his harsh words, Yunho speaks lightly and smiles down at him. San stares back, considerably more confused by the dissonance between his tone and his words. Yunho chuckles and ruffles the doll’s hair affectionately. “I’m saying not not to worry about it. We just needa figure something out for you, so just focus on that for now.” 

  
  
  
  


Then there’s the time Yunho had come back after a particularly long day. It’s already dark, and San is sitting on the bed with his knees drawns up to his chest as he anxiously keeps an eye on the door. As a mercenary Yunho doesn’t work on any sort of fixed schedule. Sometimes he comes home early if a job is finished and sometimes he comes back much later, but it’s rarely this dark by the time he comes back. 

He remembers Wooyoung’s wish for a day where he wouldn’t worry about if Jongho would come home that day, and San wonders if this is what he meant by that. He rocks himself on the bed for another minute before resolving to head over to Wooyoung’s place to check in. If Yunho isn’t home yet then Jongho probably isn’t either, and maybe they should keep each other company until then, but the door opens the second San’s feet touch the ground and the doll immediately perks up when Yunho walks through the door. 

“Yunho!” He hops off the bed and hurries over to the blond. 

Yunho sighs loudly as he swings the rifle off his shoulder and sets it down against the back of the couch—its de facto place for it now—before he grabs his silver cigarette case from his desk and heads for the window. San stumbles back a few steps when he passes by. This is a familiar routine to San by now, but he follows the Nomad over to the window as he lights up his cigarette before tossing the case aside. 

San looks over to the couch where the case is, sparing Yunho’s back a brief glance before he runs over to grab his case from the couch. “Yunho,” he calls to the blond quietly. The Nomad breathes out a lungful of smoke before turning his head to look at him. “Can I have one?” He holds out the case for Yunho to see, and the blond raises an eyebrow as he pulls the cigarette from his lips. 

“You smoke?” he asks skeptically. 

“N-no,” San admits and looks down. _If you want something, say it_ , Wooyoung’s voice rings in his ear. “But I want to. I want to try.” 

Smirking at his response, Yunho crooks a finger at San, beckoning him over, and the doll follows the silent command. “Here,” the blond says as he takes the case from San’s hand and offers the blunt he’d been smoking. 

San stares at it uncomprehendingly. “What?” he asks, looking up at Yunho. 

“You might not like it. Wouldn’t want you to have a whole one if you hate it, so help me with this one,” he reasons. 

“But...this one is yours,” San murmurs. 

“That a problem?” Yunho raises his eyebrows at the doll.

San shakes his head and hesitantly takes the offered blunt. It’s just a surprise. His old Master would never share anything of his with his doll even if it meant getting a whole new item. The thought of sharing a cigarette with Yunho is almost unthinkable for him. For a moment he just stares at it with uncertainty because he doesn’t smoke, and he’s not entirely sure what to do. 

Yunho cocks an eyebrow at him in challenge, and, clearing his throat, San tries to imitate what he’s seen Yunho do all the time. He brings the butt of the cigarette to his mouth and wraps his lips around it. Then he takes a deep breath and promptly starts coughing when smoke tickles the back of his throat. He pulls the blunt away from his mouth, holding it up and away as he tries to control his coughing. 

With a little chuckle, Yunho takes the cigarette back from the doll and remarks, “Yeah. You really ain’t ever smoked before, huh?” 

“No,” San wheezes, fingers clutching at his throat. 

“So whaddya think? Hate it?” 

“N-no.” San coughs again, eyes watering with unshed tears. He looks anything but convincing. “I just—is there an easier way to do it?” 

Yunho’s grin becomes downright predatory as his eyes become hooded and he leans into San’s personal space. “You wanna shotgun it?” 

“What it?” San asks. 

“Shotgun. Ain’t ever heard of someone who did it for just a cig, but hey, there’s a first time for everything, yeah?” 

“Is it easier?” 

“Mhm. I’ll do all the work. Just don’t keep your lips shut tight.” He brings the blunt to his mouth and inhales as much as he can. San watches him with uncontained curiosity when Yunho pulls the cigarette from his lips but doesn’t exhale. Then Yunho leans in close, fully expecting the doll to jerk away or freak out, but he doesn’t. He’s perfectly relaxed when Yunho presses his lips to San’s ever so lightly, before parting his lips to allow the smoke to pass between the two of them, some of it curling up in little tendrils in the space between them. 

The first thought that strikes Yunho’s mind is that the doll’s lips are incredibly soft, and he hadn’t anticipated that even if he’s not surprised by it either. San is a doll, specifically designed to be appealing. Of course his lips would be soft and warm. Perhaps it also explains his lack of reaction. For someone as shy and insecure as San is, Yunho would have honestly thought San would jerk away with a little yelp. He hadn’t expected San to go lax against him or move perfectly with him when he parts his lips to allow the smoke to diffuse between them. 

When Yunho finally pulls back from the doll and looks down at him, San’s eyes are half-lidded and his cheeks are flushed a nice pink color. He brings the blunt back to his lips to take another hit while he openly admires the doll’s appearance. Briefly, he wonders if his response has something to do with that doll implant in him or if something like smoke really has that kind of effect on him. “So, what do you think?” Yunho asks curiously. 

San’s head lolls to the side before he looks up at Yunho with his hooded gaze. “It’s nothing special,” he concludes. 

Yunho laughs at that, genuinely amused by San’s response. “Not surprising. Shit like this is an acquired taste.” He holds the cigarette delicately between his fingers, watching the way a thin trail of smoke rises up and curls about from the burning end of it. “First time I ever kissed a doll though.” 

San perks up, suddenly alert, at Yunho’s remark. “And?” he asks eagerly. “What do you think?” 

“Eh.” Yunho shrugs his shoulders and smirks at the doll. “It’s nothing special.” 

San is stunned and speechless by Yunho’s words. The teasing tone in the blond’s voice doesn’t register past the fact that his skills as a doll are not only lacking but disappointing as well. “I’m—it was nothing special?” San repeats, unable to comprehend the words. He hadn’t disappointed his old Master in years, and when he did it always ended with some unpleasant punishment. 

“Don’t take it too seriously. I was just joking.” Yunho reaches out to push San’s bangs away from his eyes. He pauses when blue eyes stare back at him. San’s ocular implants were undeniably beautiful, but it feels weird to look at them and think such a thing when San likely had no say in having them placed. Had he wanted them? What did he think of them? Yunho suddenly feels bad for teasing him like that. “It’s not as if we actually kissed.” He brings the cigarette back to his lips and takes in a deep breath. 

“Then try it for real.” San tugs on Yunho’s sleeve insistently. 

“Huh? Why would I do that?” Yunho cocks an eyebrow at the doll as he half-heartedly tries to pry San off. 

“Because!” San presses himself into Yunho’s side. “I’m a doll. This is what I was made for. I have to make sure I can still do my job correctly—” 

“You’re not a doll anymore, remember?” Yunho cuts him off sharply. “I don’t care if you still got that damned doll implant in you or not. You’re not a doll anymore.” 

San cowers at the hard edge to Yunho’s voice, and he takes a step back out of fear. Yunho takes the left over stub from his lips and tosses it carelessly out the window. Figuring their conversation is over, Yunho steps away from the window to head for his bathroom, eager to wash away the sweat and smell of the city that clings to his skin. But then San latches himself to his arm again. “Wha—” 

“Please!” San interrupts him. “You must try it properly with me this time. At least once!” 

“Hah? Why? We just discussed this.” He tries to pry his arm away from the doll, but San just holds on tighter. In all honesty, it wouldn’t be all that difficult for Yunho to simply dislodge him, but he doesn’t, partly because he doesn’t want to resort to such force against someone like San and partly because he’s just curious what the doll will say this time. 

“Because,” San twists his fingers into Yunho’s clothes and looks away shyly, “I want you to.” 

“Huh?” Yunho leans in a little closer to the doll, not quite able to comprehend his mumbled response. 

San startles when the blond comes close, and he nearly loses his resolve, ready to just drop the matter and take refuge in his room for the rest of the night. But then he remembers Wooyoung’s advice. He tugs at Yunho’s arm when the Nomad tries to pull away again and squares his shoulders to help gain some air of confidence. “I said because I want you to!” He repeats, louder this time. 

Yunho is quiet, eyes wide as he slowly digests San’s words. “You want...wait, really?” He looks down at San whose face is red and heated from a blush. Then San turns his head into Yunho’s shoulder and nods. The blond’s lips pull up into a grin, and he pounces on the opportunity. How could he not when he had such a perfect and golden opportunity just laid out for him to take advantage of. “Oh? Is that because you really want me to kiss you? Or are you just looking for an excuse to kiss me again?” he teases. 

San’s face heats up so much he swears he starts to feel faint. “The first, of course!” He exclaims at the same time that he tries to hide his face in Yunho’s shoulder. “I just want you to recognize my potential as a doll! Even if I may not be one anymore, in a technical sense that doesn’t mean that my training and augmentations may not be enjoyed anymore. I can still be used very well in that sense!” San holds a hand to his chest as he tries to essentially sell himself to Yunho. 

“Oh?” Yunho cups his chin and pretends to observe the doll. “Are you trying to sell yourself as a doll to me?” 

“W-well, yes.” San clears his throat awkwardly. “I mean, even if you say I’m not a doll anymore, that’s all I’ve ever known, and I owe you so much already.” 

“I don’t want or need you to pay me back with your body,” Yunho tells him curtly. 

“I’m not doing it because I have to,” San argues. “It’s true that right now it’s the only thing I can offer you, but I wouldn’t have brought it up if I didn’t want to! It’s clear that you’re not all that interested in touching me. Do you really think I wouldn’t take advantage of it if I also didn’t want you to touch me?” 

“So?” Yunho places his hand on his hip and looks down at the doll when he’s done talking. “What is it you actually want from me? Speak clearly so that I can understand.” 

San chews on his bottom lip and shrinks away from Yunho. “I want you to kiss me,” he says to the floor, stuttering when Yunho lifts his chin up with two fingers placed beneath it. The doll takes a deep breath and forces his eyes up to meet Yunho’s gaze before he continues. “I want you to do it and sincerely think about what it’s like. I want you to consider if you might enjoy the company of a doll like me.” 

Yunho is quiet as he considers San’s demands. San holds his breath, waiting for the Nomad to make his move. He pulls his hand away from San’s chin, moving it up to cup his cheek. He thinks about whether or not he should do it. San has voiced his desires, and Yunho can respect that. Now he just needs to decide if he wants to concede to that request. 

He strokes his thumb over San’s cheek, marveling the doll’s smooth, clear skin and the pretty curve of his lips—dermal implants probably. Yunho almost wonders how much of the doll has been modified and what had he looked like before all those modifications? He must have been pretty still for a corpo to pick him up off the streets like that before building him into his version of perfection. 

Yunho hesitates for a brief moment, still torn between pushing San away and telling him to forget it and bringing him in closer. Ultimately, he reasons that it’s just a kiss. It wouldn’t hurt anything, and San seemed adamant about it, so he pulls San closer as he turns them around to walk the doll over to his bed. 

Like before, San doesn’t complain. He allows himself to be pushed down onto the bed and stays still as Yunho crawls over him. The Nomad can’t help but comment on it. “You’re different like this,” he says, cupping the doll by the cheek and leaning down to rest their foreheads together. 

“I am?” San asks curiously. 

“You’re usually so shy and timid,” Yunho notes, eyes trailing down San’s features and coming to a stop at his lips. “Even now, it’s not like I would say that you’re  _ confident _ but you seem comfortable at the very least.” 

“That’s because I am comfortable like this.” Yunho’s gaze flicks up to meet San’s eyes again. “This is what I know how to do. And I want to do it.”

“Why? Didn’t you hate it? Being a doll? Having no choice but to service a corpo whenever he felt like it?” Yunho narrows his eyes at San who, for once, has yet to avert his gaze. 

“No.” 

The answer shocks Yunho enough that he sits up and stares down at San with a horrified expression, but the doll remains sturdy in his conviction. “No?” Yunho repeats. “But—” 

“Please, don’t misunderstand me, Yunho,” San interrupts before the blond has a chance to argue or berate him for his answer. “I’m not saying that it was the greatest thing that ever happened. In many ways you could say it was simply a death sentence, but for me it was an extension on death row. I don’t know about other dolls. I’ve—” San thinks about Wooyoung and his own personal dislike for the industry. “I’ve learned that we’re not all the same, but I have to ask you why is being a doll so bad? What’s wrong with being one?” 

“Are you kidding me?” Yunho fists his hands in his hair. “You told me he wiped your memories. He loaded you with fuck knows how many implants. And when he was done? What did he do? He sold you to Scavs! So they could pick apart those expensive implants and sell them all over the city! You weren’t anything but a toy to him.”

“And I was nothing but a tool before that,” San counters. “I may not remember most of my life before being a doll, but I remember enough. I’ve never been more than just a body for someone else to use.” 

“It doesn’t have to be that way anymore though.” 

“How?” San looks up at the Nomad. “We haven’t figured out anything that I can do yet. My body is the only thing that has ever had any worth before. I want you to see that.” 

Oh. 

_ Oh. _

It finally hits Yunho what the problem is. “Sorry,” he apologizes. He trails his gaze down the doll’s body like he’s trying to gauge the worth of his body himself. “Sorry. I wasn’t trying to make you feel worthless. I didn’t know that you didn’t mind being a doll. I thought you’d be...happy to be free.” 

San sniffles, an indicator that Yunho had hit the nail on the head with that one. “I am happy,” he says. “I don’t...feel like I’m in danger of being sent away to Scavs or anyone else with you, but I also feel terrible because I don’t know what I can do for you. Wooyoung says that you don’t need a doll. You can’t maintain one. And I know that, as I am right now, I’m a burden for you, so even if I have nothing else to offer you I have my body.” 

Yunho turns away from the dool, his stomach churning. He’s not sure what this feeling is, but he knows he doesn’t like it. He pities the doll, but he also thinks he understands where San is coming from. He’s known no other life and despite everything perhaps being a doll had been the peak of his life. With the training, and Kibble, and implants, and being sold to Scavengers when it was all over, but Yunho digresses. 

“Yunho, just try me out,” San requests, drawing the blond’s attention back to him. 

He swallows thickly. Just try him out, huh? Yunho doesn’t know if he wants to. He doesn’t look at San and see a toy, and he doesn’t want to view him that way. But he gives into San easily enough, and his stomach churns with disgust at his own behavior. He leans down, bracing his arms on either side of San’s head, and slots their lips together. 

It feels much the same as it did the first time. San’s lips are delightfully soft and warm against his, but it feels infinitely better now that the purpose is there as opposed to the touch of lips to pass smoke between them. His body feels heated all over, and he moves his hands down to hold San by the shoulder because a sudden urge to hold the doll takes over him. 

San moves his lips against Yunho’s like he knows exactly what he’s doing, and he probably does. Yunho doesn’t think that he’s inexperienced by any means. There’d been a girl back home that Yunho had messed with back when he was a teenager, and he was no stranger to appreciating the company and services of a joytoy every once in awhile when the urge to fuck became too difficult to ignore, but San moves with him in a way Yunho doesn’t think he could ever accomplish. 

When he parts his lips, San follows his lead and makes it easier for him to slip his tongue inside and lick into his mouth. San makes a little noise of pleasure and meets Yunho half way. The Nomad pulls away with a little gasp. His eyes drop down to the doll underneath him, and his cock stirs in interest when he sees the way San’s lips are red and shiny with spit. 

“So what do you think?” San sucks in the next few breaths and his tongue pokes out to lick his lips. Yunho feels another twinge of arousal stirring in his gut at the sight of his pink tongue, and he slides off San and the bed. San sits up with him and scoots down to sit at the edge of the bed. 

“It was good,” Yunho admits, lifting his hand up to press his fingers against his lips. They feel like they’re tingling from the sensation of the kiss. He could feel the doll’s training come through in that kiss. It certainly heightens his curiosity but also intensifies his own feelings of shame and self-disgust. 

San brightens at his compliment though. “It was? I can do more than just that.” San reaches out for the blond’s arm, but Yunho pulls away from him before he can grab him. 

“I’m sure, but I’m going to have to decline for now.” 

San blinks at him, his expression dropping at Yunho’s words. “What?” he croaks out. 

“You’re amazing. I’m sure you know that.” Yunho looks at him and tries to smile. “But, like I said, I don’t want you to pay me back with your body. Ask me again when you feel like you don’t owe me something, and maybe we can work something out.” It’s easier to smile this time although San stares back with a confused expression. 

San stutters when Yunho walks away from him to head for the bathroom. He wants to say something in response to the blond, but he can’t come up with anything. So he watches quietly as Yunho walks away from him, the bathroom door sliding shut behind him when he enters, and San quickly scurries back to his own room, hand clutching at his chest as he tries to calm his racing heart. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> San finally gets himself a job while Yunho struggles to figure out his next steps and who to trust in this city.

Yunho pauses when he grabs his rifle from where it’s leaning against the back of his couch because the neatly clean and cleared coffee table catches his attention. He’s noticed over the last few days that San has been cleaning and reorganizing the apartment, but he hasn’t said anything about it, just letting the doll do what he wants. He isn’t sure what inspires San to clean up the apartment: boredom, obligation, or something else entirely, but it doesn’t hurt anything so Yunho doesn’t comment on it. 

“San, are you awake?” he calls in the direction of the doll’s room. 

“Hm, yeah,” San’s muffled voice comes back to him. The door slides open right after, and San pokes his head out to peer up at him. “Did you need something?” 

Yunho takes a step back and looks down at the doll. They haven’t talked about the kiss since the night it happened, and San hasn’t brought up the idea of paying Yunho with his body for a while either. For all intents and purposes the issue should be resolved, but Yunho still sometimes finds himself dancing around the doll. “I have an idea,” he says after taking a few steps back from San. 

“About what?” San steps out of his room to approach the blond while rubbing at one of his eyes. Then he perks up, eyes alight with hope. “Have you thought of a job I could do?” 

“Uh. No. Not one that’s paid anyways.” Yunho adjusts the rifle strapped to his shoulder and nods at the closet. “Since the storage room is now your room I don’t have any place to store this.” He twists around to show off his gun. “I know it makes you uneasy to have it just out and lying about all the time, so I was thinking if you can make some space in the closet we can store it in there instead.” He points at the closet as San turns to look at it too. 

“Oh.” San blinks before he looks back at Yunho to get a quick glance of his rifle. “Yeah. I can do that. Leave it to me!” 

Smiling, Yunho tilts his head forward in a gesture of gratitude. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” 

“Of course! Anything you ask for.” His words cause Yunho to shift his weight uncomfortably, but the way San beams at him like he’s genuinely happy Yunho asked him to do something allows him to relax some of that tension. San is unlike anyone Yunho has ever met before, and the Nomad has to constantly remind himself of that fact. 

I’ll see you later,” Yunho tells him as he heads for the door. 

“Okay. Have a good day! I’ll have the closet reorganized by the time you get home.” San waves him off, seemingly in a better mood than he has been for the last few days. 

  
  
  
  


Cleaning and reorganizing the closet takes the better part of the first half of the day for San to accomplish. He dumps out everything Yunho has shoved and tossed inside it over the last few months and discovers a little storage rack stuffed in the back of the closet which San quickly learns he can break down and rearrange as he likes. Pleased with himself, he breaks it down before building a new rack that’s simple but perfect for storing Yunho’s rifle, building it to the dimensions he’d taken from the rifle this morning. Then he sets about organizing the closet to fit everything back in with the new storage space for Yunho’s rifle which he makes sure is easily accessible. 

By the time he’s finished, San is worn out from the physical assertion of it all, but he’s nevertheless satisfied with his work and damn near giddy at the thought of how pleased Yunho will be with his handiwork. It’s with that thought in mind that San leaves the apartment with a little skip in his step to venture out for food although he stops short when he spies a familiar cat on the balcony. It stares back at him, tail twitching in anticipation. 

San tries to signal with his hands for the cat to wait. He’ll be right back to feed it. There’s just something he needs to do first. He has no way of knowing if the cat understands him or will follow his directions, but San chooses to believe that the cat understands him. With that faith, San turns and runs for Wooyoung’s door. Unable to contain his excitement, San presses the button to ring Wooyoung multiple times until the door slides open and Wooyoung peeks his head out. 

“San?” he blinks at the doll inquisitively. “Did something happen? Is something wrong?” 

“It’s the cat,” San tells him. “The cat is out here.” He jerks his thumb over his shoulder. 

Wooyoung perks up at his words and immediately scrambles out of his apartment. “The cat is back?” he asks excitedly, holding his hand up to his forehead as he scans the immediate area for the cat. 

The creature isn’t difficult to spot. Its eyes are still fixated on San, and its tail twitches as he waits patiently for his food. “Come on, let’s go get it some food,” San whispers to Wooyoung like it’s some grand secret the cat can’t hear. Wooyoung nods his head eagerly and links his hand with San’s as the doll pulls him over to the vending machines. 

They debate with each other for a good five minutes about what to buy for the cat before they finally settle on a can of meat. Wooyoung snatches the can from the vending machine before San can even bend down. Pouting, the doll holds back his protest and follows after his neighbor as Wooyoung eagerly approaches the cat. 

The cat is less eager to greet him, moving down towards San when they approach and outright hissing at Wooyoung when he tries to get too close with the offering for today’s lunch. “What a lil’ bitch,” Wooyooung complains when the cat backs up from him again. “I’m the one with the food and everything.” 

“It’s just scared.” He pats the railing at a fair distance from the cat. “Put it here. It’ll come to eat it.” 

Puffing his cheeks out in dissatisfaction, Wooyoung does as San suggests and opens up the canned meat for the cat. It looks to San as if seeking approval before cautiously approaching the food, sending Wooyoung one last suspicious look before it dips its head down to eat. “I want to pet it,” Wooyoung laments, fingers twitching by his side. 

“Wow. That’s brave of you. I haven’t even tried to pet it yet,” San commends him. 

“Really? But it’s a real cat!” Wooyoung reminds him. “Aren’t you curious? Do you think it’s softer than one of those cybernetic ones? Or warmer?” 

San hums and looks at the cat he’s been feeding up until this point. “I think it’s just dirty,” he remarks dryly. 

Wooyoung scowls at the doll and smacks him on the shoulder. “You are totally missing the point here.” He stares at the cat as it finishes up the food, and, sure, it is pretty dirty, but nothing that a good old bath wouldn’t fix. The point is that it’s a real, live cat, and that is remarkable in and of itself. 

Wooyoung lifts a hand up, hovering it over its head for the cat to see. It presses its ears back against its head and meows its discontent for Wooyoung’s action. He gives up with a sigh and allows his hand to drop back to his side. “I wonder if cybernetic cats are this annoying. I bet they’re nicer.” 

San laughs at his petty tirade, taking the empty can from the cat to dispose of it properly. “I guess it’s not as exciting as you would have hoped.” 

“Oh, it’s exciting alright, just also incredibly disappointing.” Wooyoung leans against the rail and makes a face at the cat when it hisses at him. “What an unpleasant creature. It’s no wonder they all went extinct. Nobody wanted to save them from all the nuclear fallout and shit.” 

“I think it’s cute.” 

“You’re a sucker.” Wooyoung grins at San and pushes himself away from the railing. “I gotta get back to work anyways. I wasn’t really in a good place to pause, but you should swing by later. We can share a drink or something.” 

“Sure. That sounds good.” San nods his head and waves when Wooyoung turns to head back to his apartment. Then he turns to the cat who’s languidly licking one of its paws although it pauses to spare San a glance. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he tells the cat. 

He heads back for the vending machines, tossing the empty can into one of the near overflowing trash bins. Then he turns to pick something out for himself. When he turns back with his food in hand, he startles to see the cat still on the balcony, having followed San down to the vending machines. He cocks his head to the side as he stares at the cat. 

“What?” he asks. The cat’s tail swishes behind him as it stares at San intently. “Are you still hungry?” He looks down at his own food and then towards the vending machine before he shakes his head. “I can’t. I don’t really have any money.” He only has what Yunho gives him per week, and San already stretches it pretty thin by buying the cat a lunch nearly every day. 

Swallowing down his guilt, his heart reaches out to the hungry cat, but there’s nothing he can do. He tries to wave the cat away as he heads back for the apartment, but the cat follows him. San pauses and looks back at the cat who stops as well, meowing at the doll. “I don’t have anything for you!” San tries to shoo the cat away, but it just stares at him. 

San slowly turns back towards the apartment and scurries over to the door. Holding his palm up to the keypad, the door unlocks and slides open and a little ball of black and white fur runs by him before San can even take his first step into the apartment. “Hey!” he protests, freezing when he sees the way the cat makes itself at home on the floor of Yunho’s living room, rolling onto its back as it starts purring uncontrollably. 

“No, you can’t be here!” San rushes for the cat, hands out to grab hold of it, but it quickly flips onto its stomach and scrambles away and out of reach. “Come here,” San pleads as he chases the cat throughout the apartment, but the creature continues to avoid him, jumping over the couch and fitting itself under places San could never hope to grab him from. 

“Please, this isn’t my house.” San peers at green eyes that stare back at him from underneath the bed. “Yunho won’t be happy if he sees you here.” The cat just meows at him like he couldn’t care less about that worry. San slumps his shoulders as he lays his body flush against the ground and stares at the cat. His heart aches at the sight of it. 

Wooyoung had said that the cat is rare. A real one as opposed to the cybernetic pets that reigned supreme with corpos and other economic elites. It was alive but abandoned and forgotten. San can relate to that feeling. “You want to stay here?” he asks. 

The cat mewls and rubs his cheek against the floor. It probably can’t though. Yunho will definitely say no and throw it out. If he can’t even take care of San for too much longer, then there’s no way a cat would be welcome, but the Nomad wanted him to be more human, did he not? Wooyoung had told him that Yunho would perhaps like him more if he acted less like a doll and more like a human. San knows that it’s true enough given the way the blond had reacted after that kiss. 

He doesn’t know what qualifies as human. He doesn’t understand how he doesn’t act human when he is one, but he thinks he’s starting to have an idea when he stares at the cat. “Okay,” he determines for himself. “Come here. I need to get you cleaned up first. You’re a mess and I’ve worked really hard to keep this place clean.” He coos at the cat and coaxes it out from underneath the bed. 

Perhaps sensing that San was no longer interested in kicking him out, the cat slowly wiggles its way back to the doll, allowing San to pull it out from underneath the bed once he’s within reach. “I guess I have to think of a name too, right?” San also learns the painful lesson that Kitty does not like baths. 

  
  
  
  


“Fuck.” Jongho tilts his head back to stare up at the sky. “Shit, that one was close.” 

Yunho twirls the shard they had stolen around in his fingers, eyeing the chip curiously. Some netrunner had been desperately trying to get their hands on it, offering a surprising amount of eddies for its recovery, but the place it was being held was unexpectedly well guarded. Perhaps it explained the price tag of this gig. 

“Want me to drop it off?” Yunho asks. 

“Nah. I’ll do it.” Jongho holds his hand out for the chip, and Yunho drops it in his hand without protest. “Too bad I couldn’t get my systems upgraded before this. Maybe it would have been smoother if I had.” 

“It wasn’t too bad all things considered,” Yunho points out. “We got what we came for.” 

Jongho snorts as he pockets the shard. “Only you would be able to say that after leaving that utter massacre behind.” Jongho’s security protocols were behind and out of date. He’d been an easy hacking target for the gang’s netrunners when they’d been accidentally caught by their security systems. Long story short, the whole thing had ended in a shoot out that they were able to fight their way out of, and the shard had been untouched throughout it all. 

“Damn Hwa and his popularity,” Jongho sighs. “Was all booked up, but if I’d gotten upgraded that shit wouldn’t have happened. Oh well. He needs an assistant or some shit. Handle all the stupid bullshit of keeping his workshop clean and handling the merch or something.” 

“An assistant?” Yunho repeats curiously. 

“Yeah. So he could take more patients in a day. Hwa’s been so busy lately. Considered goin’ somewhere else, but I don’t trust nobody to handle an upgrade this important.” 

Yunho hums as he considers Jongho’s suggestion, an idea forming in his mind, but then his holo rings and they both startle at the noise. Digging the device from his pocket, he answers it only for Hongjoong’s face to greet them. “Hey, job finished?” he greets. 

“Yeah.” Jongho waves him off. “I’m gonna go drop it off soon. Don’t worry about it.” 

“Oh. I’m not worried. Didn’t just call to congratulate you on a job well done, ya know.” Hongjoong crosses his arms over his chest. 

“Then what did you want?” Yunho asks. 

Hongjoong turns his attention to the blond and smiles at the question. “Glad you asked. I’ve got good news for you guys. I’ve been contacted by a colleague, a fellow Fixer of mine. He’s heard of your work and is interested in working with you guys.” Yunho raises one eyebrow at Hongjoong’s words. “Went ahead and sent over your details as well as some glowing reviews of my own. I’d imagine you’ll be hearing from him in the next few days.” 

“No, shit. Who?” Jongho asks excitedly as he shoves his face in Yunho’s holo. Hongjoong smiles fondly at him. 

“Eden. Prolly heard of him before.” Hongjoong shrugs his shoulders like it’s no big deal. 

No, Yunho thinks, he hasn’t heard of the name before, but Jongho lights up in recognition. “No fucking way. Eden wants to work with us?” 

“Maybe,” Hongjoong cautions him. “He’s picky with the mercs he works with. No doubt you’ll have to prove yourselves first, but if you do manage to impress him he’s one damn good Fixer to work with.” 

“Who is he?” Yunho asks, not really directing it at either Jongho or Hongjoong, just anyone in general. 

“Bro, seriously?” Jongho jumps in for him. “He’s like a legendary Fixer. You want some nice, high paying jobs then he’s your guy. And he wants to work with _us_.” 

“These kinds of high paying gigs aren’t exactly a steady source of income,” Hongjoong warns them. “But certainly, if he’s got a job you definitely wanna be the person he contacts.” 

Jongho cheers at the prospect, although Yunho remains less enthused. It’s not that he doesn’t understand the gravity of this opportunity, he just doesn’t feel the same need to express victory. “Yo, Imma go drop this shard off. Let's pick up a six pack on the way home to celebrate. You and I are heading for the big leagues soon.” He points at Yunho who nods his head in acknowledgement before he turns and jogs off in the direction of the nearest Drop Point machine. 

When he’s gone Yunho looks back at Hongjoong, intending to thank the Fixer before hanging up, but Hongjoong stops him. “Yunho, a word of advice,” he says. 

The blond blinks and cocks his head to the side. “What is it?” 

“I figured Jongho would be too excited to listen to me, but I’m glad to see you’re just as skeptical and suspicious as always.” Hongjoong grins at him. “It’s about Eden.” 

“What? Gonna tell me not to work with him?” Yunho narrows his eyes at Hongjoong who shakes his head and waves off his question. 

“No, no. Nothing like that. Eden’s a great Fixer, and I wasn’t lying about his gigs. He might not always have a job for you, but when he does they’ll most definitely be worth it.” Hongjoong bites down on his bottom lip and shifts his weight around. “That being said, he comes off friendly, but he’s just as ruthless as any gang leader and takes on some clients who are more of the...unscrupulous types. Be careful with him.” 

Yunho furrows his eyebrows together at Hongjoong’s warning. “Why are you telling me this?” 

“Just looking out for one of my best mercs,” Hongjoong says with a smile. “Don’t gotta listen to me if you don’t wanna. Just letting you know. If he offers you a job you don’t wanna take or something, don’t be scared to turn it down.” 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Yunho says slowly. 

“Good.” Hongjoong gives him a little tilt of his head in acknowledgement before he hangs up the call first. 

Yunho stares at his holo for a few moments after Hongjoong hangs up on him with narrowed eyes. He rolls the Fixer’s words around in his mind, unsure of how much weight he intends to put on them. There aren’t many people Yunho trusts all that easily. He’s especially wary of Fixers. He still doesn’t know how he feels about Hongjoong personally, so he doesn’t know how much he trusts his word on this Eden figure either. 

Yunho shoves the holo into his pocket when he sees Jongho running towards him in the distance and shrugs off Hongjoons’s words. He’ll figure Eden out on his own. 

  
  
  
  


Yunho knows something is up before he even steps into the apartment. He can tell because he picks up San talking to someone or something inside the apartment on his auditory implants followed by a faint little mewling sound. He tilts his head to the side as he holds his hand up to the keypad to open up the door, trying to place that noise but he’s unable to. As soon as the door slides open, San suddenly falls silent before he scrambles out of his room. 

“Yunho,” he greets the Nomad with a polite little nod of his head. 

“Who were you talking to?” Yunho asks as he pulls his rifle from his shoulder. 

“Me? No one,” San squeaks out. He looks over to the closet and immediately waves Yunho over to it. “Look. I did what you asked and made space for your rifle.” He opens the closet door and motions to the little rack that he made for Yunho, but the Nomad can’t help but stare at the doll’s hands. Were those scratch marks on his hands? “Do you like it? Is this what you wanted?” He looks to Yunho for approval, and the blond forces himself to nod as he stores his gun away. 

San breathes a little sigh of relief that doesn’t escape Yunho’s notice, and he snatches San by the wrist to take a look at his hands. “What happened to your hands?” 

“Uh. Um.” San tries to pull his hands free from Yunho’s hold. “It’s nothing.” 

“Your hands are all scratched up,” Yunho observes. 

“It’s nothing!” San squeaks out. And, as if the cat has a death wish, it meows loud and long from San’s room. The doll tenses up at the noise, eyes immediately dropping to the ground to avoid Yunho’s gaze while the mercenary stares at him with a confused expression. 

“What was that?” Yunho asks. 

“W-well.” San doesn’t have an explanation though. He can only look back at his room and mentally curse Kitty for speaking so loudly and out of turn. 

Yunho releases his hold on San’s wrist to head for the door to his room. San stutters and protests in a weak attempt to deter him, but the door slide opens, and Kitty prances outside without a care in the world, rubbing herself up against Yunho’s leg. The Nomad freezes as he stares down at the cat and immediately runs a scan on it. “It’s not even cybernetic,” he remarks as he takes a step back. Kitty is undeterred, however, and purrs as she continues to rub herself against Yunho’s leg. 

“Yeah. Isn’t it cool?” San asks as he drops to his knees and pulls the cat away from Yunho. 

“Why is it in here?” Yunho takes a couple of steps back after San removes the creature from him, and he narrows his eyes at it. 

“Well,” San looks down at the cat he’d so affectionately named Kitty. “It kind of just followed me inside? I’ve been sharing food with her for a while, but she usually left after that. Today she just kind of...barged her way in?” 

“Then show her the door,” Yunho advises as he jerks a thumb over his shoulder. 

Pouting, San holds the cat to his chest and pouts at the Nomad. “But I don’t want to. She wants to be here. How can I just kick her out?” 

Yunho laughs at his explanation. “Oi, you seriously wanna take in a real cat? You don’t even have the eddies to care for it!” 

“Look who’s talking!” San snaps back at him. “You don’t have the eddies to take care of me, but you still did it.” 

Yunho sucks in a breath and stares at the doll, but he has nothing to say in response. He can’t because San is absolutely right. He had taken in a doll when he so clearly couldn’t afford to, and as much as he still struggles to understand San, he has not once thought of kicking him out—has gone to great lengths to stretch out his own budget as best he can. He’s been constantly cashing in favors to try and stretch it out as much as possible. “That’s—that’s different,” he tries to argue. 

“No, it isn’t. I’ll take care of it! I’ll keep it in my room or something. I can do it!” San nuzzles his cheek on top of the cats held and hunches over it protectively as if Yunho might swoop down and just try to snatch it from him. He isn’t. 

“You don’t even have a job! How are you gonna make the money to take care of it?” Yunho places his hands on his hips and tries to hold in his exasperation. “What about if it gets sick? It’s not cybernetic. How are you gonna take care of it?” 

“I’ll be a joytoy! I don’t care!” San glares up at the Nomad. “It’s abandoned and alone. I’m not going to throw it out. I don’t care if it means I have to sell myself to strangers. It’s not like you want me anyways.” He mutters the last part bitterly as he turns his head away. 

Sighing, Yunho moves over to lean against the back of the couch, fingers itching for a cigarette although he manages to hold back on the craving. “Alright.” He gives in easily enough. So easily, in fact, that San turns to look at him with wide, shocked eyes. “But you have to take care of it,” Yunho says firmly. 

“I will!” San replies. “I will. I’ve already thought about the safety precautions and—” 

“Christ, shut it about the job thing. I’ve thought of one for you. Much safer and prolly pays better too.” Yunho crosses his ankles and looks down at the doll. San snaps his mouth shut and shrinks down at Yunho’s words. He doesn’t exactly speak harshly, but his words aren’t all that nice either. 

The Nomad looks at San and the cat he’s holding in his arm and seems to promptly lose his train of thoughts. “You said it just followed you in?” he asks. 

Kitty wiggles out of his grip and lands gracefully on her feet when she drops to the floor. Then she moves over to the couch and leaps onto the back so she’s closer to Yunho. San watches her with a stunned expression. He wants to ask Yunho about this job he’s thought of, but the blond seems so interested in the cat that it doesn’t feel quite right to bring it up now. “Uh, yeah. I tried to get her out at first, but she didn’t want to go and I like her so…” he trails off. 

Yunho hums as he stares at the cat thoughtfully, but San notices the way the corners of his lips are ever so slightly pulled up in a small smile. Then he reaches out to place his hand on Kitty’s head. She responds immediately, pushing her head up to meet him as she purrs in content. San nearly blurts out that she’s a traitor when Yunho had been so ready to just kick her out a few minutes ago. 

“Did you give her a name?” 

“Oh. Um,” San stutters, watching with a stab of jealousy as the cat practically throws herself at Yunho. “I just call her Kitty.” 

Yunho snorts at his answer. “That’s what you named her?” 

“What’s wrong with it?” 

“Oh, nothing.” Yunho still looks fond as he looks at the cat. “It’s a cute name. Very direct.” 

San looks away to hide his own satisfaction from Yunho’s approval. “What about that job you were talking about?” he asks to change the subject. 

“Ah. Right.” Yunho crosses his arms over his chest. “Come with me to Hwa’s workshop tomorrow. I think he might be willing to hire you for a job.” 

“Hwa?” San furrows his eyebrows together in confusion. “You mean your ripperdoc? Seonghwa? Isn’t he the one I owe money too though? Why would he hire me?” If he had a job to offer, why hadn’t he just hired San right out of the gate? “I don’t have any kind of experience as a medtech though.” 

“Because, I don’t think he realizes that he could use a helping hand. And don’t worry about that. He’s the ripperdoc. You just gotta be there to help if he needs it.” Yunho takes a quick scan of his apartment before he looks at San pointedly. “I think you’d be perfect to help him out, so let's go visit him tomorrow. We can discuss it with him then.” 

Kitty jumps off the back of the couch and makes his way back over to San who bends down to pick her up when she mewls at him. He isn’t sure what to make of Yunho’s suggestion. It feels like a long shot to him, but Yunho seems rather pleased with his idea. He figures it won’t hurt to go along with it for now. “Okay,” he murmurs his agreement. 

  
  
  
  


Seonghwa is working on a woman’s nervous system implants when Yunho and San arrive. His patient is knocked out on his little operation table, but San immediately has to turn his gaze down to the floor and shuffle closer to Yunho at the sight. He can see Seonghwa’s gloved hands covered in blood as the ripperdoc looks towards them. Unlike him, Yunho doesn’t seem all that phased at the sight, offering a wave of his hand and a greeting to his friend. 

“I’m pretty booked up today,” Seonghwa tells them as he turns his attention back to his patient, bending down to get a good look at what he’s operating on. “Unless you came in for something quick I don’t think I can fit you in.” 

“No worries, we’ll be quick,” Yunho assures him as he approaches his friend. “What’s going on here?” He nods to the patient on Seonghwa’s table. 

The ripperdoc casts a quick glance at him before he returns his attention to his patient. “Young lady has a rather persistent admirer at work apparently,” Seonghwa answers as he reaches for one of his plugs. “Guy couldn’t handle taking no for an answer apparently and decided that the best course of action after she turned him down yet again was to fucking fry her. Short circuited her system. Luckily she was at home. Her father was around when it happened and drove her straight to me.” He grabs a little flashlight as well, struggling to hold both the plug and light in one hand as he carefully inserts his gloved fingers into an incision he’s made at the base of her spine. 

“What a fucking cock,” Yunho mutters as he watches Seonghwa work. 

“You’re telling me,” he laughs. “Need to get her rebooted and install some malware protection so it doesn’t happen again. Can’t believe someone would go that far just for a stupid date. Hey, since you’re here can you help me for a second?” He hands the flashlight out for Yunho to take which he does. “Just hold it for me so I can see clearly.” 

This is the perfect opportunity. Yunho motions for San to come close, but the doll blanches at the prospect and shakes his head. Yunho doesn’t let him off easily, though, insisting that San come closer which he reluctantly does, taking hold of the flashlight with shaky hands as Yunho switches their spots. 

Seonghwa doesn’t even seem to notice the switch, simply asking that the flashlight be held over the incision so he can get a closer look at her cyberware. San takes one look at where Seonghwa’s fingers are inserted into the surgical cut he’s made before he shines the light over it and squeezes his eyes shut. “Thanks,” the ripperdoc says now that he’s finally able to see, and he slips the plug inside without any further issues. 

“Hey, could you—” he pauses when he notices that San is the one beside him and not Yunho, but he quickly recovers as he motions to his computer with one bloodied glove. “Could you just hit the enter button on that? My hands are kind of, well.” He turns his hands around to show off his messy gloves. San quickly moves to do as he requests with a nod of his head. “Okay, so what is it that you needed?” Seonghwa asks once he sees that his program is running. It’ll still take at least thirty minutes for the reboot to complete. 

“Just wanted to talk actually.” Yunho reaches out to pat San on the head as he grins at his friend. “What do you think about having an assistant?” 

Seonghwa raises his eyebrows at Yunho’s suggestion. “An assistant?” He looks at San who fiddles with the flashlight to turn it off before he places it down on the desk. “What makes you think I need one?” 

“You just asked for help,” Yunho points out. “You’re only one person, and you only have so many hands. Besides, take a look at your workshop.” He motions to the studio around them. It’s a bit of a cluttered mess and could probably do with some cleaning. Seonghwa admits that keeping track of all his tools and equipment has become increasingly more difficult as his workload increases. “Don’t you think you could use help with keeping and maintaining your cyberware stocks too? Things would run smoother. Maybe you could take on more patients too. Better business, no?” 

Seonghwa peels off his bloody blue gloves as he carefully considers Yunho’s suggestion. Again, he turns his attention to the doll who avoids his gaze and huddles back into Yunho’s side. “You think he could do it?” the ripperdoc asks. 

“He’s good at cleaning and organizing things,” Yunho answers with a little shrug. “I think it’s a win-win. You get an assistant to help you out, and he can work for you to pay off his debt.” 

Seonghwa frowns, seeming unconvinced, but he hasn’t outright opposed so Yunho thinks he must be considering it. “And what do you think about this?” He addresses San who startles when he realizes that he’s being addressed. 

“I—I don’t have experience as a medtech,” he admits with a little bow of his head. 

Seonghwa waves off his response. “I don’t need another medtech really. I need someone who’s organized and listens to directions well and can handle my stocks. Can you do that?” 

San shrinks like a violet underneath the ripperdoc’s stare and practically hides himself behind Yunho’s back. Seonghwa frowns and tilts his head at the doll’s response, figuring that that’s answer enough. “He can,” Yunho answers for him. “I dunno if it’s the doll implant or what, but I’ve noticed that he can learn things pretty fast if he’s told to or taught how to. And that’s on top of the fact that he’s already good at cleaning and organizing.” 

“Oh?” Seonghwa perks up at Yunho’s observations, seeming interested in it. “What do you mean by that though? He can learn anything?” 

“I dunno about anything. That would be pretty ridiculous.” Yunho turns back to San so he can reach up and pet him on the head affectionately. “But I asked him to organize and make some space for me the other day, and he broke down my weapons rack and rebuilt it to fit my needs. It’s not even designed to do that. He just did it somehow.” San pushes up into Yunho’s touch, pleased by the blond’s praise. 

Seonghwa cups his chin and hums thoughtfully. “Hmm, that seems interesting. Perhaps it has something to do with one of those programs he mentioned before,” he remarks. 

“Maybe.” 

For a moment Seonghwa is silent as he observes San critically. Admittedly, Yunho’s proposal is tempting. Having an assistant around to help him keep his workshop up and running would be useful without a doubt, but it’s not exactly a choice he intends to make lightly either. If he hires San, he wants to know that it’ll be a good investment for himself too. 

“Okay. How about a trial period then?” He proposes. San straightens his back when the ripperdoc speaks, looking attentive as Seonghwa lays out his suggestion for him. “You’ll work here for at least a month. I’ll pay you a fair wage, but I’ll retain fifty percent of each paycheck to go towards paying back your debt. The rest will be yours to do with as you please. If things feel good after the months is up, I’ll hire you full time. I’ll increase your pay but I’ll keep retaining that fifty percent until your debt is all paid off. I also need you to get holo if you work here. Does that sound fair enough?” 

Blinking, San looks to Yunho for guidance because he honestly has no idea if it’s a fair deal or not. It sounds good to him, but he figures Yunho will probably warn him if it’s unfair, right? Yunho looks down when San tugs on his sleeve in search of his advice, and he leans down and cocks his head to the side to hear what San has to say when the doll leans up to try and whisper in his ear. 

“What do you think? Is it a good idea?” 

“It’s fair,” Yunho tells him. “And by withholding some of your earnings, you don’t have to worry as much about saving to pay him off. You’ll just be doing it as you work. Plus, you get money to take care of that cat.” 

San brightens up at the mention of Kitty, and his motivation peaks. “Okay!” He turns to Seonghwa with a determined expression. “I accept your conditions. I’ll work here for at least thirty days.” 

  
  
  
  


Eden contacts them two days after Hongjoong tells them about him. He reaches out to Jongho, which is probably for the best because he seems to approve of Jongho’s starstruck behavior and eagerness to work with him. Most Fixers in general seem to appreciate it when their mercenaries are happy and eager to work with them. Yunho knows that his own skepticism and suspicion have turned off many a Fixer who have attempted to work with him, so yeah. It’s probably better that he contacted Jongho.

Jongho tells him that they’re going to meet the man at The Afterlife—a well renowned bar that required connections to get into. Neither of them had ever been invited before. Yunho heaves a sigh as he parks his Thornton in the parking lot behind the club. He and Jongho had agreed to meet there. The younger man had some business he needed to take care of, and Yunho needed to arrange a way for San to get home safely after work. Wooyoung had ultimately agreed to go and pick him up. 

He stares at the neon sign flashing the name “The Afterlife” above the building as he leans down to press his chin against the top of the steering wheel. He knows Jongho is excited to finally be able to get inside the club, could hear it in the redhead’s voice when they’d spoken over the holo, and he doesn’t blame him. His own curiosity is a bit piqued by the idea of going into The Afterlife as well. His own excitement is only dampened by the thought that Eden is only doing this to show off. He’s trying to send a message to them by holding their meeting here, and Yunho isn’t sure he likes what that message is supposed to be. 

He has faith that Jongho will remain on guard despite his own personal excitement. Perhaps it’s Hongjoong’s warning still replaying itself in his head, but he feels like there’s a weight on his shoulders, eyes on him that he needs to watch out for. He grabs the keys from his ignition and shoulders open the door to step out. 

He pulls his leather jacket tight across his shoulders as he makes his way through the crowded parking lot and towards the staircase that heads down to the entrance. Jongho meets him at the bottom of the stairs, lips stretched out into a grin. 

“Yo, you ready?” the younger man asks as soon as he spots Yunho. The blond tilts his head forward in answer to Jongho’s question. When he moves for the entrance, though, Jongho holds his hand out to the Nomad’s chest to stop him. “Hey, don’t take this the wrong way or nothing, but lemme do the talking, yeah?” 

Yunho stuffs his hands into the pocket of his pants and doesn’t make a fuss about it. “Sure,” he agrees with a nonchalant shrug. “Do your thing.” 

“You’re okay with that?” 

“It’s probably better this way. Dunno how to deal with a Fixer like him.” It’s partly a lie, but Jongho appears to buy it so Yunho leaves it as is. He needs to see what this guy wants from them first before he thinks he can come to a decision. Hongjoong hadn’t said he was a bad guy by any means, even encouraged them to work with him, but he had said to be wary. Yunho wants to know why. 

Allowing Jongho to lead the way, Yunho trails behind the redhead as they approach the bouncer of the club. He’s a large, imposing man, his build probably a mixture of implants and dedicated training. He shuffles in front of the door to block them, and his stare behind his sunglasses can still very much be felt. 

However, Jongho remains confident, his grin still in place as he approaches the bouncer with his holo in hand. “We have an invitation.” He waves the holo for the bouncer to see, waiting for the man to run a scan on it before he grunts and steps aside for them. Jongho practically has a skip to his step as he finally enters the club. Yunho casts a glance at the bouncer as he follows after his friend. 

Immediately the smell of cigarette smoke and the scent of alcohol and the pounding of electronic music blares in his ears. The neon lights above pierce through Yunho’s eyeballs like sharp needles. A man greets them almost as soon as they enter and tells them to have a seat at the bar and grab a drink, it’s on the house for them. Jongho makes a pleased noise as he makes his way to the bar. 

Yunho pauses to look at the man though. “We agreed to meet here. Why do we suddenly have to wait around and grab drinks?” he asks curiously, trying not to be offensive. 

The man sneers at him. His coy smile clearly did not disarm the man. “It’s a show of courtesy. I suggest you accept it.” 

Yunho holds his hands up in surrender. “Alright. You got it.” He heads for the bar and takes the seat next to Jongho as a bartender approaches them. She smiles at them and leans against the bar as she asks what she can get them. 

“A beer for me,” Jongho says. A safe choice. Won’t be enough to get him drunk, but it’s an acceptance of the show of courtesy. 

Yunho peeks over his shoulder to see Eden’s man still staring at him, so he tells her, “Whatever the most expensive thing is.” She doesn’t even bat an eyelash as she goes to get their order. Jongho side eyes him curiously, but Yunho lifts up one hand from the bar top to signal for him to be quiet and careful. 

“You draw suspicion to yourself?” Jongho murmurs, hiding his lips behind his hands. Yunho hears his question easily enough and hums as he chances another glance at Eden’s man. He seems more relaxed now, leaning against the wall as he says something into his holo. 

“It’s fine, I think.” 

“You gonna be okay for the meeting? Bet this shit will pack a mean punch.” He pulls back when the bartender returns and sets down a glass of beer in front of Jongho and a long, thin glass filled with an amber liquid in front of Yunho. 

“Guess it’s a good thing that you’re the one who’s going to be doing all the talking then, huh?” Yunho remarks as he takes a long sip of his drink. As Jongho predicts, it’s strong as hell and burns the back of his throat on the way down, but he ignores that as he quickly downs the drink. Let them think they’ll have an advantage over him; Yunho doesn’t care. 

Jongho sighs as he tilts his head back and chugs his own beer quickly. “Whaddya think about all this? You seem suspicious,” Jongho notes as he sets his beer down. “Can’t say I don’t blame you, but you can’t scare this Fixer off before he at least offers us a potential gig.” 

“Can’t help it. Don’t trust nobody.” Yunho’s leg bounces a few times before he catches it and stops himself. Jongho had taught him that much at least, so why does he seem so quick and eager to accept a new Fixer like this? Just because he’s some big name in the city? Yunho doesn’t buy it. He hasn’t been able to trust anybody since his family. It has always been a Nomad’s nature not to trust those outside of the clan. 

“Certainly trust that doll of yours just fine,” Jongho snorts before he downs the rest of his beer. 

Yunho is caught off guard by the comment, nearly knocking over his empty glass with his elbow when he turns to glare at the redhead. “That’s different,” he argues. 

“How so?” 

“Kid is defenseless. What’s he gonna do to me, huh?” 

“Don’t need a weapon to wreck havoc and ruin your life in this city,” Jongho reminds him. “Maybe he means it, maybe he don’t, but he’s gonna suck you dry at this rate.” 

Yunho narrows his eyes at his friend. “He got a job. He’ll be able to get by on his own eventually.” 

“Yeah? You gonna kick him out sometime soon too then? Or he just gonna stay with you forever?” 

“What’s your problem?” Yunho growls at him. “Thought you didn’t hate dolls. You sure keep laying into San when he ain’t ‘round to hear you shit talking him all the time.” 

“I ain’t shit talking nobody,” Jongho defends. “I’m trying to get you to figure out what the fuck you gonna do with him. He’s still a doll, Yunho. He’s got an implant stuck in him that fucks with his head. What’ll happen if you accidentally activate one day and can’t reverse it? More than that, the chip’ll make him a fucking doormate. He don’t got what it takes to survive this city without help.”

Yunho sighs and stares down at the counter. It’s hard to think about these things while his head’s buzzing with the effects of alcohol. Jongho has a point, of course. He’s seen it in action first hand all the time. San can assert himself sometimes, but he puts up little resistance if he’s met by almost any kind of opposition, and Yunho is quickly learning that it seems to be exclusive for him. San remains meek and passive with almost everyone else, and even the blond can tell that if he puts his foot down hard enough the doll will quickly give in. He could have had that cat out of the apartment in less than five seconds if he’d really wanted it gone. 

“Don’t get me wrong here, dude.” Jongho wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “I ain’t trying to tell you what to do with San one way or another. In the end you saved him and he’s living at your place, but you gotta start thinking about the long term eventually. Can you really take care of him in the state he’s in? Even if he’s bringing home some money now, you really think that’s enough? You think you can just send him out of the bird’s nest and he’ll just fucking fly?” 

“You saved a doll once,” Yunho points out. “Why can’t I?” 

“Woo was different, and we both know it. I was in love with him. San’s just some doll you saved from Scavs.” He turns in his seat when the man from before approaches them. “Anyways, s’not like you gotta know what to do with him right now. Just think about it.” He leans in closer to whisper into Yunho’s ear before the man reaches them. “And just so you know, I don’t exactly trust this new guy either, but it works to fake it until you at least got some dirt on ‘em.” 

“Right,” Yunho murmurs as he slides out of his seat just as the man reaches them. 

“This way,” he says, motioning for the two of them to follow. “I’ll take you to the private room where Boss is waiting.” 

“Oh, a private room even?” Jongho asks excitedly as he follows after the man with Yunho at his heels. He glances back at Yunho and the two of them briefly share a look. There’s no need to discuss any sort of gig in a private room at a place like The Afterlife where Fixers and mercs were a regular fixture of life and the primary patrons. No, he just wanted to have them both alone, probably just as eager to feel them out and eye them up as they are to get a feel for him. 

Still, Yunho doesn’t like this. Most Fixers like to meet face-to-face at some point. At least once. But there was typically no need for this type of extravagance or secrecy. Hell, Yunho still remembers the first time he’d met Hongjoong at a basketball court where the Fixer had been watching a group of kids play. It had been an odd location. Felt even more strange when Hongjoong had remarked about the types of injuries and implants many athletes were expected to get over the course of a lifetime and how so few could afford the professional services used by the rich elites of society. 

“Ripperdocs are ‘bout the only option for kids like those,” he’d told Yunho before properly introducing himself and marveling at the Nomad’s height. 

This, however, is unique. He either really wanted to show off, or Yunho is missing something else entirely. He shoves his hands into the pockets of his jacket and decides that he’ll just have to put his trust in Jongho in this case. He seems like he’s far more in control than he lets on, and Yunho admits he’s definitely the best equipped to handle this guy. 

  
  
  
  


Eden is nothing like Yunho expects. He expects an imposing figure with his wealth and status obvious in his streetwear and chosen accessories. He doesn’t expect the fairly tall, scrawny young man who looks so unassuming in his bucket hat and white shirt, puffing on a cigarette when they enter the room. Clearly he’s not the only one who’s disappointed. Jongho seems just as confused by the person in front of him. 

Yunho’s first thought is that maybe this isn’t actually Eden, just some decoy he sent in his place, but he quickly shakes the thought from his mind. No matter how shady any Fixer or merc may be this was the one opportunity where trying to pull any sort of deceit would mean a total loss of any credibility on the streets. They’d agreed to meet up so there’s no way he’d sent a decoy in his place, not if he still intended to do business with anyone. 

He smiles when he sees them walk into the room. He pulls the cigarette from his mouth before motioning them to take a seat on the couch across from them. “So glad to meet you two,” he murmurs, observing them from down the length of his blunt when they take their seat. “Heard great things about you guys, and you both came with glowing reviews from Joongie.” 

“Are you friends with Hongjoong?” Jongho asks him. 

“Sure.” Eden smiles around his cigarette before he takes a hit. “Taught him almost everything he knows. He owes me for his start too which is why he hooked me up with some of his favorite mercs when I asked for some new recommendations.”

Why do you suddenly need new recommendations, Yunho wants to ask, but he’s able to rein in his tipsy mind before he can blurt it out. They agreed to let Jongho do the talking for a reason. Yunho only needs to talk if he’s addressed. 

“Guess I’ll have to remember to tear him a new one next time I see him then,” Jongho jokes. 

“Oh? Why’s that?” Eden puffs out some more smoke before tapping on his cigarette to loosen the ashes. 

“Ain’t it obvious? Bitch knew such an amazing Fixer this whole time and never told me.” Yunho can pick up the way he practically covers his voice in a honey tone. What a great actor. 

“Joongie doesn’t talk about me much?” Eden asks curiously. 

“No. Guess he’s trying to keep you close to his chest,” Jongho remarks lightly. 

“Oh, ain’t he though?” The way he smiles at his own question unnerves Yunho, and suddenly all the blond wants to know is what the fuck is up between him and Hongjoong. “Tell him he should call me more often the next time you talk, yeah? I do so miss him.” 

“Sure.” Jongho nods his head in agreement, but Yunho can tell that he’s equally as confused by this relationship. “Anyways, you called us here for a meeting. I presume you didn’t just want to heap praises on us.” He raises an eyebrow in challenge. 

“Absolutely not,” Eden agrees, leaning over to snuff his cigarette out in his ashtray. “Not here to stroke your egos and Joongie can play you up all he wants, it don’t mean nothing to me until you prove your worth yourself.” 

Jongho grins, clearly pleased with Eden’s assessment. “I presume you have a job for us then? Something to prove our worth.” 

“Certainly.” He crosses one leg over the other and pulls out a fancy leather cigarette case. Yunho watches him play with it for a moment before he finally pulls out a new stick before offering it out to Jongho who holds his hand up in denial before moving on to Yunho who gives in and takes one for the sake of his nerves. Eden seems pleased with him, even offering out his lighter to Yunho first. “It’s nothing all that difficult,” he says after lighting his own cigarette. He leans back against the couch and tilts his head back to blow out the smoke from his lungs. “I’d just like to see how you guys conduct your business so to speak.” 

“Sure,” Jongho agrees while Yunho quietly puffs on his cigarette. 

But before Jongho can continue and ask what he wants them to do, Eden turns to Yunho and remarks, “Not much of a talker, are you? Why don’t you speak up?” 

Jongho glances at Yunho who keeps his cool as he smokes the blunt in his hands. “Well, then. What is it that you’d like us to do?” he asks, smoke escaping his lips with every word he speaks. 

“Glad you asked.” Eden pulls out a shard, waving around the green chip before he tosses it on the small table between them. Jongho reaches for it, but the Fixer holds his hand up to stop him and looks at Yunho again. “You pick it up,” he tells the blond. 

Narrowing his eyes, Yunho holds the cigarette between his lips and leans over to snatch the shard up from the table and plugs it into his interface. Then he leans back as he’s bombarded with information on a weapon. 

“What you’re looking at is a smart weapon designed by Militech. A smart pistol with a built-in AI,” Eden explains. “One of a kind and worth quite a pretty amount of eddies. It was stolen from a Militech convoy by the Silver Skins, gang of cyberware fanatics. I paid their leader almost a quarter of a million eddies for that gun. Client of mine really wants it in his collection.” 

Yunho shares a glance with Jongho, but the redhead only tips his head forward. Clearly, Eden is more interested in what Yunho has to say, so he silently urges the Nomad to continue. “So what’s the problem then?” he asks. 

“They’ve had a sudden shift in their power structure,” Eden replies. “Guy I paid is now out of power, and their new leader doesn’t want to honor that deal. Says I’m welcome to pay  _ him _ instead for it, but I’m not interested.” He grins at Yunho, eyes crinkling up. “Not exactly a job I’d expect a Nomad to do well.” 

Yunho looks at him sharply. Was that what this had been about? He didn’t trust Nomads to do his dirty work? Yunho isn’t exactly a stranger to the sentiment. People tended to overlook his abilities on behalf of his background. If he wasn’t transporting something, he was often regarded as useless. Eden’s suspicion rolls off his shoulders without bothering him the least bit. “Why? You want it worked out a certain way?” He ejects the shard from his interface and hands it back to Eden. 

The Fixer takes it with his smile still in place. “Nah, don’t really care so long as the gun remains intact and I don’t gotta pay twice.” 

“So you don’t gotta problem with us just killing everyone and taking it back?” 

“Dunno that that’s the best option for you personally but, like I said, so long as you recover it I couldn’t care less.” He shrugs and maintains his stare on Yunho, but the Nomad holds strong. He looks next to him at Jongho who cups his chin in his hand and considers the job. It would just be the two of them against an entire gang. What were the chances that diplomacy would work? And if it was unlikely to work what other options might they have? 

“Where are they located? And what info you got on their new leader?” Yunho asks before he returns to smoking his cigarette. 

“Silverheads are holed up in an old, abandoned factory in the Arasaka Waterfront district in Watson,” Eden answers. “As for their leader, ‘fraid I can’t say much about their new leader. Don’t really know the guy, but from the brief conversation I had with him about handing over the gun, he seems to me some brutish idiot who doesn’t know the first thing about actually leading his gang. Sounds like he took over the whole operation by force ‘cause of a personal vendetta he had against the old guy.” 

So diplomacy would probably not be a viable tactic for them. “Okay. Think we know what to do in that case then,” Jongho says as he shares a look with Yunho who nods his head in agreement. 

“Oh? Just like that? You barely have any information,” Eden observes. 

“Still got time unless you need this done by tonight.” Yunho chews on the butt of his cigarette as an outlet for his increasing annoyance with the Fixer. 

“Nah. I can wait. Just don’t keep me waiting forever.” Eden flicks his cigarette to discard some of the ash. “I do so look forward to how you handle this though.” Although he’s technically speaking to both of them, Yunho feels his anger peak when his gaze remains fixed on him. 

“So what’s your fucking deal with Nomads anyways?” he finally snaps, practically tearing off the butt of his cigarette as he yanks it from his mouth and puts it out on the table. Maybe it’s the alcohol although Yunho barely feels its effects. Sure, he hates disrespect as much as the next guy, but he’s usually able to tamper it down. This Fixer is really testing his limits though. 

“Yunho,” Jongho reprimands him, but Eden holds a hand up to stop him. 

Smile never faltering, he leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees and puts out his blunt as well. “I admit, I’ve not done much business with Nomads, but I know enough ‘bout them. The Aldecaldos have set up camp to the east just outside of the city. Don’t necessarily got a problem with you, considering your reputation, but I don’t exactly have much faith in a people who put their clan before everything else.” 

“Then fear not. I don’t got no clan anymore,” Yunho growls out. 

“Just ‘cause you left ‘em to come to Night City don’t mean you don’t have your own loyalties. I  _ like _ mercs who are loyal. Don’t need nobody selling me out.” 

“I’m no snitch.” Yunho crosses his arms over his chest and turns his nose up at the idea. “But if you want my loyalty you best prove you earned it same as we prove our worth to you.” 

“I don’t  _ earn _ loyalty,” Eden scoffs. “I demand it. I’m one of the best Fixers in this fucking city, and you best be remembering that.” 

Yunho clenches his teeth together, jawline tightening. Maybe Hongjoong had a point about this guy, and the blond makes a mental note to call him back. “I ain’t a Nomad no more. I don’t got no clan to report back to or help defend or nothing else of the sort, so you can stop worrying ‘bout me.” He stands up from his seat and stares down at Eden with a hard gaze. 

The Fixer remains unphased; if anything he seems more amused. “That so? Sorry to hear ‘bout your clan.” He doesn’t sound sorry in the slightest, though, and Yunho barely holds back his own scoff. 

“We done here then?” Yunho asks. 

“You know your job.” Eden leans back in his seat and folds his hands together behind his bed. Jongho looks pensive as he eyes the Fixer before peering up at Yunho. There’s a silent question in his eyes: are you okay? Yunho just shakes his head, his fury surely palpable in the private room. “Report back to me when you’re finished.” 

“And the pay?” Yunho prompts, raising an eyebrow in challenge. 

Eden smirks. “Hundred thousand. For you both. My client who wants the gun paid a pretty price for it. Only about twenty percent of the cut total, but you do this and I’ll increase your cuts to thirty percent. Keep doing good work and we can talk about even more.” 

Percentage wise the cut is shitty, and Yunho focuses on that. Jongho, on the other hand, latches on to the amount right away, perking up at the mention of a hundred thousand eddies. Yunho wisely doesn’t try to negotiate the compensation. 

“Get it done cleanly and I’ll even consider a bonus for a job well done,” Eden entices them. 

“We’d have done it cleanly regardless,” Yunho boasts. 

“Oh, I do look forward to that.” The Fixer narrows his eyes but maintains his ever present grin. 

Jongho finally stands up as well to join his friend, tilting his head forward in Eden’s direction. “We’ll have it done within the week,” he adds. 

“Very well. Then let’s meet back here within a week to discuss our future working relationship in that case, yeah?” He looks at Jongho and then Yunho who meets his gaze head on. “You two sure are an interesting team,” he remarks. “I look forward to meeting you again.” 

Figuring this meeting is now officially over, Yunho turns around and heads out of the room with Jongho hot on his heels, already asking for a ride back to Wooyoung’s place. 

“Could you have been any ruder?” the redhead hisses as they leave the club. 

Yunho practically stomps up the stairs towards the parking lot. “That guy is a bitch,” he mutters. 

“Yeah, well he’s also incredibly well connected. Whatever though. I think he actually liked it,” Jongho comments. It only puts Yunho in a fouler mood. 

“I fucking hate him, but if you wanna work with him I’ll do it.” The blond slips his key from his pocket and unlocks his car. 

“You don’t gotta be his best friend to work with him. ‘Sides, since when has anyone ever liked their boss?” Jongho snickers “Anyways, we should probably figure out our game plan. Don’t sound like those Silverheads are gonna talk to us, and I dunno about going in guns blazing if they’re holed up in an abandoned factory. S’prolly a fucking rat hole.” 

“Agreed.” Yunho slips into the driver’s seat as Jongho jogs around the car to get into the passenger side. “First thing is to get information on their hideout. Layout, numbers, how armed are they. I’ll figure that out. Why don’t you try and do some digging on the beef between their old and new leaders?” 

“Sure thing.” Jongho grins to himself, already planning how he’s going to go about extracting that information. “I know where some of those freaks like to hang out. Away from the safety of their stronghold.” 

Yunho looks behind him as he pulls out of the parking lot to head back to the Watson mega-building. “Okay, let’s meet again in two days and go over a final strategy.” 

“Sounds good to me.” Jongho stretches his arms out in front of him before he relaxes back into his seat and closes his eyes. “Wake me up when we get home.”


	6. Chapter 6

Yunho scratches Kitty underneath her chin while San scrambles to get ready for work. He’s been working at Seonghwa’s workshop for only a couple of days now, and he’s unsurprisingly punctual, dragging Yunho out of bed to drop him off since he’d been expressly told not to take the public transit to work. In all fairness, Yunho doesn’t think he knows how to use the train or buses, so it doesn’t feel unreasonable anyways. 

“I really doubt Seonghwa will care that much if you’re a little bit late,” Yunho drawls, watching San dig through his closet for something clean to wear. He hasn’t done the laundry in a while. He should probably do that. 

“I’m on a trial period though. It’s important to make a good impression, and you can’t be late to work! It’s against the rules.” San cries out in victory when he finally finds one of Yunho’s shirts that isn’t stained and slips it on, tucking it neatly in the pants he’d gotten from Wooyoung. They should probably work on getting him his own clothes rather than letting him scrounge through Yunho’s shirts and hand-me-downs from Wooyoung. 

“What rules?” Yunho teases him.

“ _The_ rules,” is San’s unhelpful response. “Hurry, hurry! We’re going to be late if we don’t hurry.” He tugs on Yunho’s arm, pulling him off the back of the couch he’d been leaning against. 

“Who’s we?” Yunho snorts, rolling his eyes when San pauses to kiss Kitty one last time before he runs for the door. “So, how do you like it anyways?” he asks as they head for the elevator. Or, well, Yunho shuffles his way over to it after San rushes for the button, and the elevator arrives just as Yunho makes it there. 

“What? Working with Seonghwa?” San turns to look up at the blond once the elevator doors close and they begin to descend into the garage. 

Yunho shoves his hands into his pants’ pockets and turns his gaze up to one corner of the ceiling. “Yeah,” he answers with a little shrug. “How is it? Do you like it?” 

“Yeah. I like it.” San crosses his arms over his chest and digs his nails into his elbows. “Seonghwa is really nice, and he doesn’t ask me to do anything too hard. It’s not really the type of work I’m used to, but it’s...easy for the most part.” 

“What about it is hard?” Yunho asks curiously. The elevator comes to a halt, and the doors open up to the parking garage. San follows after Yunho to the car. 

“Um. Sometimes he has me just help out with patients. Holding tools for him and stuff like that. It’s not always so bad if it’s an easy procedure, but…” He shudders and scurries over to the car when he realizes Yunho is already at the car door. He slides into the passenger seat before he quietly adds, “I hate blood.” 

Yunho nearly snorts as he leans forward to start the engine. He doesn’t find San’s response all that surprising, but he’s still amused nevertheless. 

“Seonghwa also has me deal with the suppliers for his cyberware and stuff. I don’t really like that either.” San digs his hands into the seatbelt over his chest and bites down on his bottom lip. 

“Why not?” Yunho asks. 

San turns to look at the window, hanging his head in embarrassment before he peers over to Yunho. “A lot of them are scary. Seonghwa gave me a general idea of what most of his common implants are worth and told me not to let them rip me off, but a lot of them yell and scream when I haggle with them. It’s terrifying.” He shivers as he remembers the first person he’d ever had to haggle with. 

Yunho smiles fondly at his response. It feels very much like something the doll would say, and it’s kind of adorable. “Well, did you do a good job though?” 

San perks up at the question and eagerly nods his head as he recounts the praise Seonghwa had given him over the course of the last couple of days. There had been some mistakes, of course, but the ripperdoc had seemed overall happy with him so far. “I got one lady to throw in some extra cyberdecks she had collected for a super discounted price. She said I was too pretty to resist. And Seonghwa was really happy with me for that.” 

Yunho snorts at his words, but his fond smile stays in place. Part of him is surprised that San appeared to be doing so well so quickly under Seonghwa’s guidance. Part of him wonders how much of it is due to the doll implant still stuck in him. San seemed exceptionally good at learning how to quickly appease someone. It probably worked to his advantage when it came to negotiating for Seonghwa’s stocks, but he isn’t sure if he has a problem with it still or if it’s okay now that they’ve found a way to turn it to their own advantage. 

“Thank you,” San says quietly after a beat of silence, and Yunho glances down at him. 

“For what?” 

“For getting me this job.” San peers up at him through long bangs that Yunho instinctively reaches out to push aside. “I really like it. And Seonghwa. I thought he was kind of scary at first, but I really like him.” 

That draws a laugh from the Nomad who can’t imagine the ripperdoc as anything but friendly and helpful. The ripperdoc has always been open and kind in Yunho’s opinion. It’s one of the reasons the blond has remained so loyal up until this point. But Seonghwa manages to be that way without getting taken advantage of or getting fucked over by this city. Yunho has to admit that he certainly admires that about the man. 

“Seonghwa? Scary? You must be joking.” 

“I was scared of him at first!” San insists. “I mean, he’s a ripperdoc.” 

“Are ripperdocs supposed to be scary?” Yunho asks. 

“Sure. Master always said that ripperdocs were just back alley know-nothings who conducted their businesses illegally. You could get all sorts of botched by going to one,” San whispers through his fingers which he holds up to his mouth like he’s afraid someone else might hear him. “I always sort of imagined them to be like a crazy scientist that would sew a gorilla arm onto you or something.” 

Well, he’s half right, Yunho thinks. Most ripperdocs did conduct their business illegally, and plenty did an absolutely terrible job, but most of them were perfectly good at installing cyberware, and, in Yunho’s humble opinion, Seonghwa was the best of the best ripperdoc. “Nah. Most people do just fine with their installations. Seonghwa is particularly good though.” 

“I know. It’s amazing!” San admires. “But anyways, yeah. I like working there. I hope he’ll let me stay.” 

Yunho pulls the car into the alley where Seonghwa’s workshop is and brings it to a stop. “Just keep up the good work and it’ll work out just fine. Seonghwa definitely needs an assistant. You just gotta make sure he realizes that.” 

“I’ll do my best!” San says dutifully before he unbuckles himself and opens the door. Then, ever so polite, he turns to Yunho and says, “Thank you for driving me.”

“Sure. I’ll come pick you up later too.” 

San nods in agreement as he slips out and closes the door behind him before he eagerly scurries down the stairs to Seonghwa’s workshop. Now that he’s gone, Yunho takes a second to just breathe before he pulls out his holo and scrolls down to a semi-familiar contact. 

Hongjoong picks up after the second ring, looking pleasantly surprised to see Yunho. “Hey, if it ain’t my favorite Nomad,” he greets. “What can I do for ya?” 

“Eden.” Yunho has to only speak the man’s name before Hongjoong seems to sober up. “We met up with him last night.” 

“Oh yeah? Whaddya think?” Hongjoong cocks his head to the side and appears genuinely curious to hear Yunho’s response. 

“Prick,” he responds curtly, still bitterly thinking about the Fixer’s clear disdain for Nomads. He wonders why it bothers him so much this time when it hasn’t before. Maybe because the prejudice rarely came from Fixer’s who never cared who they hired so long as they did the job well. 

Hongjoong huffs out a little laugh at his response. “I warned ya,” he reminds the blond lightly. 

“Oh, boy, did you.” Yunho leans back into his seat, holding his holo up with one hand as he drums his fingers against the steering wheel with the other. “Didn’t tell me you had a close history with each other though,” he remarks. 

For once, Hongjoong is silent as he considers Yunho’s words. He doesn’t appear to be caught off guard, but the fact that he doesn’t have an immediate answer or some kind of witty follow up speaks volumes to Yunho. “He tell you that?” Hongjoong finally asks. 

“Not exactly,” Yunho admits. “He calls you affectionately though. But he sounds like he fucking hates your guts. I dunno. What’s going on there?” 

Hongjoong sighs and runs his hands through his hair. “I mean, does it matter? We got some beef with each other, so what? Not that uncommon in a place like this.” He shrugs it off. 

“It does,” Yunho insists. “You recommended that we work with him, but he hates you, and I presume you aren’t much of a fan either considering our last conversation.” 

“Look, he’s not my favorite person in the world, but that don’t make him a bad Fixer. You want good connections and access to nice, high paying gigs? He’s your guy, however unfortunate that may be.” 

Yunho stares at Hongjoong for a long time, trying to pick apart anything from the Fixer’s expression, but Hongjoong keeps a good lid on his emotions. He’s always been playful with Yunho—a way of disarming him perhaps—and it makes him an incredibly difficult person to read. “Wanna know what’s up with you two,” he says bluntly when beating around the bush gets him nowhere. 

“Why? It gonna help you with the job or something?” 

“Maybe.” Yunho shrugs his shoulders before leaning forward to rest his head against the steering wheel. “He’s shady as fuck, and you clearly don’t trust him for a reason. You warned me about him for a reason, so spill.” 

“And what’ll you give me in return?” Hongjoong smiles smugly at him. “Nothing is free in this city, least of all information.” 

Yunho sighs but isn’t necessarily surprised. Hongjoong is a Fixer after all. Everything is about a job or a trade off. Something in return for another thing. “Name your price,” he says, tilting his chin up. 

“Let’s get dinner together,” Hongjoong suggests, thoroughly catching Yunho off guard. “It’s been awhile since I’ve seen you. You pay. We can talk, but bring that doll with you.” 

That really catches Yunho off guard, and he jerks up in his seat with a little gasp. “How did you—” 

Hongjoong cuts him off with a laugh. “Of course I knew. Saw him once while we were having a chat. Knew he was a doll immediately. And what can I say? I’m highly interested in a doll that  _ you _ of all people have.” 

“It’s not like that!” 

“Then it’s no problem to bring him along, right? We’ll just have a nice, friendly chat.” 

Sighing, Yunho pinches the bridge of his nose but agrees because that’s one hell of a deal, especially considering that there’s still something else that needs to be discussed. “Fine,” he agrees, dropping his hand to his side. “But there’s one other thing.” Hongjoong hums to indicate for him to continue. “This job. I need a netrunner, and you’re the only decent one I know. Can I hire you?” 

Hongjoong grins with his teeth. “Let’s discuss all this over dinner.” 

  
  
  
  


After work, San is more than a little confused when Yunho misses the left turn to head back home and continues straight. He twists around from looking out the window to blink at the blond. “Where are we going?” he asks nervously. 

Yunho spares him a quick glance before he returns his attention to the road. “We’re gonna meet a friend of mine. He wants to meet you.” 

“Oh.” San suddenly straightens up in his seat as he runs his hands down his shirt to smooth it out. Yunho’s eyebrows furrow together at his odd behavior, but he doesn’t comment on it yet. “Um, is there—do you or your friend have any expectations?” 

Yunho isn’t sure how to respond to that. Expectations? Expectations for what? “How do you mean?” he eventually asks when he can’t think of a proper response to San’s question. 

“Oh. Well. You know.” San continues to fidget with his appearance, trying to smooth out any wrinkles in his pants now. “Whenever my last Master introduced me to friends it was typically to show off his assets, so I was usually expected to entertain the guest. Like, you know.” He doesn’t have to say anything more. Yunho gets the picture, and he scrunches his nose his distaste. 

“No. You don’t have to—God, no—nothing like that,” he assures the doll. Or it better be nothing like that. He swears if Hongjoong asks for some kind of test ride or favor he’ll sock the Fixer in the face for San. “He just...knows that I helped you out and is curious. That’s all.” 

“Oh.” San visibly relaxes in his seat, and for what feels like the nth time, Yunho’s disgust at the doll’s old Master continues to fester and grow. 

“San.” The doll looks over to him after Yunho calls his name. “About my friend, he can be a pretty dangerous guy and, while I like him, I don’t totally trust him either. Try not to say anything unnecessary, and give him as little information as possible.” 

“Give him as little information as possible about what?” San asks curiously. 

“You, me, everything.” Yunho licks his lips as he eyes the businesses along the street for the diner that Hongjoong mentioned. “Information is power in this city, especially for someone like Hongjoong, so be careful what you say around him.” 

San nods his head along to Yunho’s words to signal that he’s listening and understands the blond, but he can’t help but to be confused by Yunho’s warnings. “But isn’t he your friend?” 

Friends? Only something of the sort, Yunho thinks to himself. “Hey, what do I always tell you about this city?” 

San hunches down in his seat as a pout overtakes his expression. “You can’t trust anyone in this city,” he recites obediently. It was the one thing Yunho constantly reminded him over and over again. “Is this guy a bad person?” San asks, curious about why Yunho seemed so suspicious of his friend when he seemed to trust Jongho and Wooyoung just fine. 

“He’s a Fixer,” Yunho says as if that’s somehow an explanation. “He’s not...bad exactly. I just don’t exactly trust him.” 

“Because he’s a Fixer?” San cocks his head to the side, wondering what it is about a Fixer that makes him an untrustworthy person. 

“Uh. Yeah, kinda.” He spots the joint Hongjoong had requested they meet at and pulls into the parking lot just outside of it. San jostles in his seat, looking nervous as Yunho brings the car to a park. He admits that he’s a bit afraid to meet this friend of Yunho’s, so he’s reluctant as he unbuckles the seat belt and steps out of the car to follow the Nomad into the diner. 

It’s warm and smells dingy like dirty mop water, but the scent of pan fried noodles and a waitress's charming smile as they step inside momentarily put San at ease. Yunho leads him over to a table where a man is already sitting in one of the booths, and San’s eyes quickly trail down the stranger’s body, trying to note as many things as possible before Yunho slides into the seat across from him. 

San hadn’t really had any expectations for this friend, but he figured it would be someone kind of gruff looking. The man in front of him doesn’t look like that. He’s small, clever-looking, but also sticks out a bit with his shock of blue hair. San recognizes him. He’s seen the man a couple of times on the holo. 

He immediately looks at Yunho when the blond takes the seat across from him before his eyes immediately move to San as his lips stretch up into a smile. He looks sly like that, and San shuffles in silently next to Yunho, folding his hands on top of his lap. 

“Yunho,” the man greets. 

“Hongjoong,” Yunho returns curtly. 

Hongjoong then turns his head to look at San instead. “And who’s this?” 

San glances up to Yunho. The Nomad had said to be quiet unless absolutely necessary and to not divulge any sort of information to him. Should he just keep quiet? But Yunho answers for him. “You already know. You were the one who wanted to meet him, ‘member?” 

“That don’t mean I know his name,” Hongjoong shoots back before his expression softens as he looks at San again. “What’s your name, sweetie?” He keeps the doll pinned down with his gaze alone. 

Once again, San looks to Yunho for permission and guidance. The blond tilts his head forward. “San,” he finally answers once he’s got Yunho’s approval. 

Hongjoong hums thoughtfully as he narrows his eyes and stares at San. “And where did Yunho pick you up exactly?” he asks. 

“That’s not what we came here to discuss.” Yunho slams his palm down on the table as he cuts into the conversation. 

Hongjoong spares him a glance before sighing and turning his attention back to the blond. San silently fidgets in his seat while wondering why exactly his presence was necessary. Did he need to be here if Yunho just didn’t want him to talk anyways? He’s not sure he feels all that comfortable around this Fixer either. “Very well. You want my price and conditions, right?” 

“Yes.” Yunho sits back in his seat and folds his arms across his chest as he waits for Hongjoong to lay out his price. 

The Fixer cups his chin in his hand and pretends to think about it. “For the netrunner gig you want, is it what Eden gave you?” he asks. 

Yunho nods his head and adds, “It’s a bit of an ambitious job. If we want to pull it off discreetly, I think we’ll need some support.” 

“I want a cut of your pay for my help,” Hongjoong says as he leans against the table. Yunho doesn’t appear phased by the demand at all, even expected it really, so he waits for Hongjoong to name his price. “At least fifteen percent,” he demands. 

“Deal.”

Hongjoong blinks and sits up in his seat at Yunho’s prompt acceptance. He hadn’t expected Yunho to agree so easily to his terms. “What? Just like that?” 

The Nomad shrugs his shoulders. “I really need a netrunner.” 

“Gimme the details,” Hongjoong says before leaning in close as Yunho goes over what Eden hired them for and the task they needed to complete. The Fixer listens carefully, but his frown doesn’t escape Yunho’s notice as he lays out the current situation and his plan to basically sneak in and snatch the gun out from right underneath them. Hongjoong seems annoyed as the more Yunho reveals. “Don’t suppose he told you who the client was,” he tries, but Yunho shakes his head. 

“Nah. Just that he’s some rich guy. Paid a lot for this gun.” 

Hongjoong clicks his tongue and runs his thumb along his bottom lip as he narrows his eyes. “Probably the same stupid fuck,” he murmurs to himself. 

“Who?” 

“Nothing.” Hongjoong draws away from the Nomad as he returns his attention back to San. He smiles at the doll. “As for the other thing, I’ll trade you info for info.” 

Yunho raises an eyebrow at the suggestion before casting a glance at San. “You wanna know about him?” He jerks a thumb in San’s direction, and the doll blinks when he realizes that they’re talking about him. He lifts his head up and straightens his back, looking attentive. “Why?” Yunho asks suspiciously. 

“Personal curiosity.” Hongjoong’s gaze doesn’t waver on the doll as he answers the blond’s question. “Satisfy that curiosity and I’ll satisfy yours. Fair deal, isn’t it?” Yunho frowns and considers it. It is a fair deal at face value, but not one he expected Hongjoong to make. What the hell would he get out of interrogating a doll like San? It didn’t add up in Yunho’s opinion, and it just makes him all the more wary of the Fixer. Hongjoong presses on regardless. “Where’d you find him?” 

Yunho presses his lips into a thin line as he considers whether to answer or not. San, to his credit, remains quiet and doesn’t answer Hongjoong’s questions. “Found him during one of our gigs,” Yunho finally answers. 

“Hmm.” Surprisingly, Hongjoong doesn’t ask him which one. Maybe he doesn’t need to. He looks like he already knows, and Yunho wouldn’t put it past him. He knows that the Fixer is incredibly smart and perceptive. “I must say it doesn’t seem like something you’d do,” he remarks, eyeing Yunho curiously. 

“Helping someone?” 

“Picking up a doll,” Hongjoong corrects. “Although. he is rather pretty.” He openly ogles San as he makes the remark, and the doll flushes with pride, puffing out his chest a little as if he’s trying to show off. “So, how does he perform then? Can’t imagine he was at peak condition after spending any amount of time with Scavs.” So Hongjoong did know when Yunho had picked the doll up. “He looks all fixed up to me though.” 

“I am,” San says, drawing the Fixer’s attention to him after his gaze strays back to Yunho. “I’m fully functional. All my systems are working correctly and I’m bug free.” 

“Oh yeah?” Hongjoong allows his eyes to rake down the doll’s body curiously. “Look high-end too,” he observes. 

San practically swells with pride at being recognized for his worth. “I was custom built practically.” 

“No shit, huh?” Hongjoong whistles, clearly impressed. 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Yunho hides his face behind his hand. “He’s not—I’m not—he’s basically just my roommate right now, okay?” He clarifies. 

Hongjoong makes a little noise of sympathy as he looks at San before reaching out to pat him on the back of the hand comfortingly. “You poor thing,” he coos at the doll. “He doesn’t even know how to handle you properly. Such a shame.” He shakes his head as he tuts. 

“It’s okay. Yunho got me a good job, so I’m happy now,” San assures him with a smile. 

“Oh, really? Where?” Hongjoong’s eyes glint with curiosity, and Yunho is immediately alarmed by the look on his face. San opens his mouth to answer before snapping his jaw shut when Yunho reaches down to pinch him on the thigh. It’s a silent reminder to not just speak loosely. 

“Eden,” Yunho spits the name out to change the subject. “Time for you to pay up. How do you know each other? What’s going on there?” 

All playfulness leaves Hongjoong’s expression as he presses his lips into a thin line and considers Yunho’s questions. “Eden is a Fixer and a damned good one at that, but he’s a well known Fixer now because of his affiliation with his gang.” He traces invisible patterns against the table top with his finger. “He’s high up in their chain of command, and I know him because I used to be a part of that gang too.” 

“Fine. That don’t explain his beef with you though.” It was rather odd though. Fixers weren’t exactly neutral parties, but they tended to try and avoid any ties to gangs in order not to ruffle the feathers of any mercenaries they might end up working with. Being loud and proud about his gang affiliation was rather odd. “What’s he want? He might respect your word about us, but he don’t like you. I’m not dumb. And you don’t like him either otherwise you wouldn’t have bothered warning me.”

“I warned you because you deserved to know,” Hongjoong defends himself. “Like I said, he might be a Fixer, but he’s fucking biased and his family will always come first. He only gets around that by taking jobs from some of the richest denizens of this fucking city which means high pay but also a lot of danger too.” 

“So? What’s the deal with you two? What’s he want?” San sits next to Yunho quietly as they talk, doing his best to absorb as much of the conversation as possible. He’s not entirely sure what they’re talking about—doesn’t know who this Eden is—but he does his best to memorize Hongjoong’s answers in case he might pick out something useful for Yunho. 

“What’s he want?” Hongjoong repeats with a little sigh. “Honestly, wish I had an answer for you. Personally, I’m pretty certain he wants to flatline me.” 

San shudders at his answer while Yunho blinks, clearly surprised by Hongjoong’s response. “Why?” he asks. Certainly they didn’t seem as if they got along with each other, but they were clearly in contact with each other and working together. Murder was the last thing Yunho suspected. 

“Eden used to be my superior back when I still ran with the gang.” Hongjoong leans his head against his fist and stares down at the table with a troubled expression. “We were close. He was my mentor of sorts, and he didn’t take it too well when I decided to leave. Most gangs don’t really give a shit if you move on from them so long as you don’t snitch or nothing to another gang. I wanted out, and I used Eden to get there. He got me my start as a Fixer and then I just bounced.”

Yunho licks his lips. Something here isn’t adding up. “And he wants to kill you for that? Because you took advantage of him or some shit?” It doesn’t make any sense unless some kind of personal feelings were involved. Why would Eden have been that pissy just because Hongjoong wanted to leave? Pissy enough to want to kill him?

“Maybe.” Hongjoong shrugs his shoulders. “Honestly I’m not even sure he really wants me dead, but I know he keeps tabs on me as best he can. He ain’t the type of guy to just send out a hit though. ‘Sides we already had bad blood because—” Hongjoong hesitates and bites back the rest of his answer. “Anyways, that’s prolly why. Eden and I, we respect each other, but we also fucking hate each other.” 

“Why? What the hell happened?” 

Hongjoong remains mute and seems unlikely to answer Yunho’s question. The Nomad wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t reveal anything else. Hongjoong, more than anyone else Yunho has ever met, weaponizes information. He’s honestly shocked how much the Fixer has divulged in comparison to the Nomad. 

Just as Yunho suspects, Hongjoong shakes his head to signal that he’s done speaking only to stop short when his eyes land on San again. The doll blinks at him curiously, and it’s like Hongjoong suddenly has a change of heart. “Actually,” he murmurs as he turns his attention back to Yunho. “Do you know why Seonghwa hates my guts so much?” 

San perks up at the mention of his boss while Yunho frowns. Hongjoong’s expression remains neutral as he holds the blond’s gaze. “What’s that got to do with anything?” Yunho finally asks, cautious because this might just be an attempt to divert the conversation to something else. 

“Everything.” Hongjoong folds his arms on top of the table and leans in closer to the blond. “Besides, don’t you wanna know? I know you’ve always been curious. I know that’s why you don’t really trust me because Seonghwa is much more trustworthy and useful to you. He is, of course, but he’s not at all who you think he is. He’s not like you or Jongho at all.”

“The hell’s that supposed to mean?” Yunho curls his hands into tight fists, feeling defensive over his friend. But Hongjoong is certainly right about one thing. He’s always been curious about their history. Hongjoong sure seemed connected to some of the most interesting people in this city. 

“Ain’t he too good? For a ripperdoc, I mean?” Hongjoong grins at Yunho when the Nomad frowns. “He’s not like the other ripperdocs you find in their back alleys and dingy workshops.” 

“Yeah, he’s good,” Yunho agrees easily. “Most ripperdocs aren’t complete incompetents though. And he gets more clients because he’s good. So what?” 

“You think so?” Hongjoong shoots back bitterly. “His shop is in a back alley of a residential neighborhood. You think his clients just fell out of thin air? Who the fuck do you think sent Jongho to him? Where the fuck do you think half his patients come from?” 

His words give Yunho a brief pause as he thinks about what Hongjoong is saying. What he’s trying to imply. “What? Are you saying that  _ you _ send them to him?” 

“Of course I do,” Hongjoong snorts. “And then they tell other people like Jongho told you. Business is booming for him, I hear.” 

“Why...would you do that? I thought you guys hated each other.” Yunho is understandably confused. Neither Seonghwa or Hongjoong have ever said much about it, but he knows that there’s clearly some bad blood there. That’s why he figured Hongjoong was always looking for people to relay him information about the ripperdoc, so he could keep tabs on him and plan accordingly. It hadn’t ever occurred to him that Hongjoong was willfully helping Seonghwa expand and maintain his business. 

“I don’t hate him,” Hongjoong sighs. “Quite the opposite, but I fucked him over once. I fucked him over because of Eden. Didn’t have a choice, and Seonghwa, well, I don’t blame him for hating me for it.” 

“And that’s why you hate him? Eden, I mean.” Yunho leans back in his seat, finally connecting the dots. 

“Exactly. Eden views me as a traitor for leaving like that though. Thinks I owe ‘em my loyalty.” That definitely sounds familiar to Yunho. “I said fuck ‘em after what they made me do.” 

And then, unexpectedly, San inserts himself into the conversation. “What did you do to him?” he asks curiously, peering over at the Fixer. “Seonghwa, I mean.” 

Hongjoong turns his head to look at the doll. Yunho also spares him a glance, surprised that the doll suddenly piped up to ask a question. Hongjoong doesn’t answer right away, though, seeming to think about whether or not he wants to answer before he ultimately shakes his head. “What’s it matter? I told you my what my issue with Eden is, and that I have nothing against Seonghwa. Do you trust me yet?” Hongjoong asks Yunho. 

The Nomad is silent, carefully thinking about Hongjoong’s question when San cuts in again. “But what you did,” he says, once again grabbing the Fixer’s attention. “Does it have anything to do with the fact that he’s working as a ripperdoc now instead of a surgeon?” 

Yunho chokes at his question, and even Hongjoong jerks back in shock, looking at the doll with newfound awe and the tiniest bit of fear. “What are you talking about?” Yunho asks him. 

San flinches at the blond’s tone and looks at him with wide, innocent eyes. “Didn’t you know? I thought you knew.” 

“Knew what?” 

“That—that Seonghwa was a highly trained surgeon before he became a ripperdoc.” He sinks down in his seat under the pressure of two stares but continues his train of thought in a quiet voice. “I thought it was weird. He should have had a good career ahead of him, so I couldn’t understand why he was working as a ripperdoc, unless whatever happened also hurt his career prospects.” 

“What?” Yunho remains confused and looks to Hongjoong for answers. 

But the Fixer trembles and has to curl his fingers into a loose fist to stop his shaking as he stares at the doll. How on earth had San known that? “Did Seonghwa tell you that?” he asks, wondering how the doll managed to coax that information from the ripperdoc. Seonghwa is smart. He’d hidden a huge part of himself in an effort to blend into his surroundings better. Why would he have given away that part of himself to a _doll_? 

“No. I just figured he was a very well trained medtech. He reminds me of some of the surgeons I would go to for bio-sculpting or for some of my implants,” San says. “I just kinda assumed he must have been a surgeon, but I couldn’t figure out why he worked as a ripperdoc now, or why he didn’t at least advertise his training.” 

“You figured that out just by watching him work?” Hongjoong croaks out. 

“I don’t—it was just something I noticed.” San shakes his head and shrinks away from the Fixer’s gaze. 

Sighing, Hongjoong looks down at the table with a rueful smile on his lips. “I can’t believe this,” he mutters to himself as he runs his fingers through his hair. He’d expected to be the predator here. He had all the information in his hand, but San had just plucked one of the cards he held closest to his just without even trying. “Yeah. Seonghwa was once one of those high end fucking surgeons. Worked glitzy fucking Heywood for corpos who paid a fortune for his services. He had money. He had everything.” A lump forms in his throat as he turns away from them both. “Until I came along at least.” 

“What did you do to him?” Yunho demands, rearing on Hongjoong quickly, but the Fixer just shakes his head and slides out of the booth. 

“I think that’s enough for today.” He stands up from his seat before looking over his shoulder to look at Yunho. “Call me when you’re ready to complete Eden’s gig. I’ll get my stuff ready.” 

“Hey! I asked you a question!” Yunho calls for him, but the Fixer waves him off as he turns and flees from the diner, leaving Yunho and San behind him. 

  
  
  
  


They have a quiet dinner together in the diner before Yunho drives them back to the apartment mega-building complex. The entire time, Yunho remains relatively quiet, and San doesn’t say anything either, feeling too awkward and uncomfortable after the revelation he managed to pull from Hongjoong. It isn’t until they’re safe inside the apartment, and San bends down to scoop up Kitty into his arms that Yunho suddenly brings up the last conversation with Hongjoong. 

“How did you know that?” he asks, fingers twitching with the urge to reach for his cigarettes. He refrains from it as he turns to look at San who freezes by the couch. 

“How did I know what?” the doll asks as he walks around the end of the couch to sit down on it. Kitty curls up in his arms, looking like a content ball of fur on the doll’s lap. 

“About Seonghwa.” Yunho makes his way over to the couch, towering over San behind it. “Hongjoong made it pretty clear that you were right about it, but how did you know? You couldn’t have possibly known just by how he worked, right?” 

San tilts his head back to blink up at the Nomad and shakes his head. “I didn’t know. It was just something I noticed, but I wasn’t sure since he’s working as a ripperdoc and not in a clinic. That’s why I asked.” 

Yunho hangs his head with a sigh. “I didn’t even know. Or notice,” he mutters to himself. “I can’t believe you did.” San hugs Kitty to his chest and slumps down like he’s trying to hide from Yunho until he suddenly reaches down to pat the doll on the head. “You did a good job.” 

“I did?” San perks up at the praise.

“You caught Hongjoong off guard, and I learned something he didn’t intend for me to, so yeah.” Yunho ruffles his hair affectionately. “You did a good job.” 

San melts into the touch, the corners of his lips pulled up into a pleased smile. “Master had trained me to make observations like that,” he comments lightly, thinking nothing of it other than a simple explanation. 

It catches Yunho’s interest, though, and his hand freezes on top of San’s head. “Oh? Why would he do that?” 

“He liked to keep tabs on everyone. I guess not unlike your friend. Anything he could learn or remember about someone he could potentially use against them, and people didn’t typically think a doll like myself was capable of that,” San explains. “Especially people he considered his enemies. Which was actually most people if I think about it.” He cups his chin as he thinks about it. 

Yunho crosses his arms over his chest and perches himself on the back of the couch. “What do you think Hongjoong did to him?” 

“I don’t know. I’d guess something pretty bad though, right?” San peers up at Yunho. “Should I ask Seonghwa about it?” 

“No.” Yunho shakes his head at the idea. “Don’t say anything to him. I don’t want him to know that I know. He didn’t tell me for a reason.” 

“Okay. Do you want me to do anything else?” 

“I mean, I guess it’s probably not that important.” Yunho scratches his nose as he thinks about it. Without a doubt he’s curious, but at the same time he doesn’t really want to ruffle any feathers. 

San leans his head against the back of the couch as he continues to stare up at Yunho, hesitating to say something to the blond. Eventually he swallows the lump in his throat and manages to get his question out before Yunho pulls away from him completely. “Yunho, can I have a reward?” 

The request gives the Nomad pause before he turns to look down at the doll. “A reward?” he echoes with a tilt of his head. 

“Yeah.” San nods his head and gives Yunho a pleading look. “Because I did a good job,” he reasons. 

It seems fair enough if not a bit strange. Yunho decides to humor him. “And what would you want?”

San perks up when he realizes Yunho is willing before he suddenly becomes shy again. “Well…” he trails off, looking down at the cat in his lap. “I—I want. Would you...kiss me again?” 

Yunho furrows his eyebrows together at San’s request. “What? You want a kiss?” The doll nods his head, seeming to gain more confidence now that Yunho hasn’t expressed any kind of negative reaction. But then Yunho sighs, throwing San into a panic of self doubt as the Nomad leans against the back of the couch. “I thought we discussed this already,” Yunho says. 

“It’s different this time!” San insists, loosening his hold around Kitty who squirms in his lap as she attempts to cuddle him. “This isn’t me trying to pay you back with my body or anything. This is something I want for myself because I did a good job. Unless you don’t want to. Then I understand,” he adds the last part in a small murmur. 

“And this is what you want?” Yunho stares at the doll who hesitantly nods his head, not at all convincing him. Yunho thinks about it for a moment longer as San stares back at him hopefully. “Alright,” he finally agrees as he hops over the back of the couch to sit down next to San who shifts to the side to make room for him. 

Kitty scrambles off of San’s lap when Yunho moves closer, and she leaps over top of the couch. Then she turns to meow at them, voicing her annoyance like she knows exactly what they’re about to do. Perhaps she does. San might have even laughed at her behavior if not for the fact that Yunho’s presence is so distracting. 

Yunho shifts closer until their knees bump together and their shoulders touch. Then he reaches out to touch San on his jawline and tilts his head up. In theory, Yunho intends to just give the doll a peck on the lips. He would give San what he wants without actually doing much, but perhaps he should have known better. Yunho can’t figure out if it’s because San is a doll or if it’s just him but as soon as their lips touch, rather than pull away Yunho presses closer. 

San allows him to, of course, lips moving against Yunho’s so warm and welcoming. This isn’t what Yunho planned at all. It was just supposed to be a short and chaste sort of thing. San sighs into his mouth and sucks on his bottom lip, and all thoughts leave Yunho’s head. 

He pulls back from the doll for a moment, just to catch his breath, and San whimpers in response. The sound tugs at Yunho’s heart strings and frays his nerves. He surges forward, pushing San down onto his back and crawling over him before he slots their lips together again. 

San arches up into the touch, his own fingers threading into Yunho’s hair to pull the Nomad in closer. Yunho actually moans at that, encouraging San to gently scrape his nails into his scalp. It’s addicting. Yunho swears the warmth and softness of the doll’s lips is actually addictive. 

This time San is the one who pulls away first. He turns his head away to break from the kiss with a gasp. Unable to demonstrate any ounce of control, Yunho chases after him and presses little kisses into San’s jawline. The doll’s chest heaves, but he tilts his head to allow Yunho more access. Once he’s caught his breath, he turns his head again to catch the Nomad in another kiss. 

“Thank you,” he breathes out when he pulls back and it’s like the spell has broken. 

Yunho jerks back from him, sitting on his haunches as he stares down at the doll with wide eyes. “Sorry,” he apologizes before scrambling off of San. 

“What for?” San pushes himself back up into a sitting position and blinks at Yunho curiously. 

“Just...yeah.” The Nomad awkwardly rubs the back of his neck and then slips off the couch. “I’m going to go take a shower,” he suddenly announces. When he turns to leave, however, San reaches out to grab his hand, stopping him in his tracks. 

“Yunho.” The blond looks down at him curiously, holding his breath as he waits for San to speak. What will he ask him now? If he liked it? What did he think this time now that he wasn’t trying to pay Yunho back? But what comes out of San’s mouth makes his blood run cold. “How come you chose to come to N City? Did something happen?” 

Yunho initially zones out, the question registering in his mind before he immediately blanks. “What?” he asks because he can’t process it. Why would San ask him that suddenly? Out of nowhere? “Why would you ask that?” 

“You’re a Nomad, aren’t you? Nomads typically stay with their clans, right? It must be nicer than here where everyone might be out to get you.” San smiles at him nervously, and Yunho fights the urge to rip his hand away from the doll’s. 

“Not every Nomad is cut out for that life,” he finally murmurs. 

“But—” San bites down on his bottom lip, thinking better about his next words. Yunho almost wants to know what he’ll say. If there’s one thing he’s quickly learning about the doll it’s that San picks up on the littlest of clues. The smallest of details. He figured out something about Seonghwa Yunho had never known nor even suspected. He almost just wants to reach out and shake him, demanding to know what the hell he thinks he knows about _him_. 

But he doesn’t. And instead San says, “Nothing. I just...wanted you to know that I’m really glad you came here. If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t be—I would have—” He swallows the lump in his throat and allows his hands to fall away from Yunho’s. “Anyways, I just wanted to thank you for that. I told you last time that my Master gave me a better life by making me his doll, and that bothered you.” Yunho presses his lips into a thin line to stop himself from denying that. He couldn’t anyways. It’s true and they both know it. “I wanted to let you know that you gave me the best life possible when you saved me, and I’ll always be grateful for that.” 

Yunho turns his head away from the doll, feeling equal parts embarrassed and charmed by his words. “It’s nothing,” he tries to brush off. “I just did the sane thing to do.” 

“It’s not just nothing, and you didn’t,” San reprimands him gently. “So, thank you for that. And everything else too.” 

“Sure, sure.” Yunho waves him off and really does head for the bathroom this time, desperate to get out of the conversation. When the bathroom door slides shut behind it, he practically collapses against it, holding trembling hands up to his chest. There’s a simmering anger flowing through his veins that’s easy to ignore in light of his own fondness for the doll. San has a way of saying and doing things that generally piss Yunho off, but he still finds he has too much of a soft spot for him.

He thinks about his last conversation with Jongho about the subject. His initial thought had been that of course San would have to leave at some point. Maybe him being a doll would put a damper on things, but eventually he would learn to survive and thrive. Now he’s not so sure he’s willing to let him leave. Sighing to himself, Yunho pulls away from the door and resolves to leave the issue for now. It’s not something he’s likely to simply figure out in the span of a shower, and, frankly, his thoughts are still a jumbled mess after that kiss. 

  
  
  
  


There’s a little food stall that sells skewers just outside on the street where Seonghwa’s shop is located that San religiously goes to for his lunch break. He loves those things even if the meat is artificial, lab grown stuff. It’s still somehow incredibly tasty, and he happily transfers over a few eddies for the chicken skewers before he munches on them while sitting on the staircase that leads down into Seonghwa’s workshop. The ripperdoc always lets him eat his lunch first before he has San clean up and organize the shop from the morning shift while he goes to eat. 

It’s the same routine day in and day out. What is unusual is the call to his holo while he tears off a chunk of meat with his teeth. San frantically digs through his pocket for the device Seonghwa had gifted him, figuring something must be wrong since only a few people even had his contact: Seonghwa, Yunho, and Wooyoung. And Seonghwa was the one primarily who called him. Sometimes Yunho did too if he needed to let San know he wouldn’t be able to come pick him up and he needed to call Wooyoung to come walk him home from work. 

So he answers it without much thought, figuring it’s Yunho who’s called to say something came up with a gig. What he doesn’t expect is blue hair and the lazy smile at Yunho’s Fixer friend, Hongjoong, and he drops his skewer into his lap. 

Hongjoong laughs at him when he hisses from the heat as he plucks the skewer off his lap and glares at the Fixer on the screen. “Hey, dolly. How ya been?” he finally greets, way too friendly and familiar for San’s liking. 

San isn’t sure where to peg Hongjoong. Yunho doesn’t trust him, at least not fully, and he more or less admitted that he’d done something to screw Seonghwa over. He’s on the shit list of two people San trusts the most, and yet San doesn’t think the Fixer is necessarily untrustworthy either. It’s more like maybe Hongjoong doesn’t play by the house rules and that rubs some people the wrong way. San would say that he’s wary of the man. 

“How did you get this number?” he asks instead. 

“Wasn’t hard.” Hongjoong shrugs his shoulders and grins at him. “Yunho hired me to be his netrunner, ‘member? Shit like this is a piece of cake.”

San frowns and thinks about Yunho’s rule about not talking to any strangers. Technically, Hongjoong isn’t a stranger, but he’s also not a friend and therefore not someone appropriate for San to be talking to, right? “I’m hanging up,” he announces, eager to return to his lunch and then work. 

“Hold on now!” Hongjooong cries out, giving the doll pause. He sounded genuinely panicked right there. “I called to talk to you. Don’tcha got a sec for me? We’re friends now, aren’t we?” 

“Yunho told me that I shouldn’t trust you,” San deadpans. 

“Yes, and Yunho also tells you that you should start thinking for yourself, no? Seonghwa does too, don’t he?” Hongjoong cocks an eyebrow at him, and San’s breath hitches in shock. How the hell did Hongjoong know something like that? 

San thinks it over for a moment. “Okay. What is it that you want?” 

“I have to say, you really surprised me the other day,” Hongjoong confesses. “Don’t take this the wrong way, I just didn’t think you were so damn smart.” 

“I’m not,” San denies as he nibbles on his chicken skewer. “I just learned to observe.” 

“Give yourself more credit than that, kid.” 

San shakes his head as he tears off another piece. “Can’t. I can observe but that doesn’t mean I get it. Master was the one who always strung together the information. Like, I still don’t get what you wanted by meeting me, but I knew it was weird.” 

“Heh.” Hongjoong smirks at the doll’s words. “Suspicious already?” 

“I just don’t understand. What interest would you have in me?” 

“Hm.” Hongjoong pretends to think about it. “Just wanted to get a feel for you. See if you were actually worth investing in, and I have to say you more than surprised me,” the Fixer tells him. “I think you’re worth the investment.” 

San furrows his eyebrows together and asks, “What do you mean?” 

“Oh, not much.” Hongjoong folds his arms over his chest and does his best to seem friendly and disarming. “I just thought you might be willing to hear me out. Just wanted to meet you and get a feel for you. That’s all. Honest.” 

“That’s all?” San waves his chicken skewer from side to side as he eyes the Fixer warily. He doesn’t quite want to just distrust and dismiss Hongjoong. His instincts tell him that the Fixer isn’t really all that malicious, but he can’t exactly ignore both Yunho and Seonghwa’s obvious distaste for him either. 

Hongjoong’s expression softens a little bit at that and, for once, he actually seems vulnerable. “Look, I’m really not out to hurt you or take advantage of you or nothing. I don’t hold any ill will towards anyone really. I tell it to Yunho as I see it ‘cause I actually really like the guy and I’m tryna look out for him. But he’s his own person who can make his own decisions and there ain’t nothing I can do about that.” He offers the doll a little smile that feels genuine. “And so are you. That’s why I just wanna talk. See if you interested in hearing me out. Maybe helping me out too, but it’s your decision.” 

San freezes at his words because his heart suddenly beats wildly in his chest as he latches on to Hongjoong’s words. He doesn’t really know why, but he feels touched by the thought that Hongjoong views him as his own person. He knows that it’s how Yunho views him and how he wants San to start viewing himself. Maybe that’s why. Because someone San really has no connection to recognizes him as more than just the toy he’s always been. 

“Okay,” he agrees. “What is it you want to say? I’ll listen.” 

Hongjoong perks up when he agrees, looking pleased with himself. “I’m looking for help with something, and I’m willing to pay for that help too. You’re looking for some eddies, right?” 

“You want to hire me?” San cocks his head to the side. “I already have a job though.” 

“Oh, I know, but don’t you worry. I won’t ask you for anything too difficult or that even takes all that much time. In fact, you’re welcome to do it for me while you continue your work with Seonghwa.” There’s a glint in Hongjoong’s eyes that suddenly sets San on edge, and he shifts on the stairs he’s sitting on. 

“Am I allowed to say no if I don’t like it?” he asks tentatively. 

Hongjoong laughs at him. “San, you’re allowed to do whatever you want. I ain’t gonna force you to do anything. Just wanna offer you a job if you’re willing to hear me out.” 

“Okay…” San speaks slowly and drags out the syllables. “What is it then?” 

“You work for Seonghwa, don’tcha?” San hesitates but nods his head in response. Hongjoong poses it as a question but he clearly already knows so there’s really no point in trying to lie about it. “You like him? He a good boss?” 

These questions give San pause, and he takes a moment to truly think about it. “I—yeah. He’s really good. I don’t know if he’s really my boss yet though. I’m just on a trial period for now.” 

“I see.” 

“Why do you ask?” 

“Oh, just wondering. I think you don’t need to worry so much. Seonghwa will take you as his assistant,” Hongjoong reassures him. “He really needs one, and he knows it. And you’re probably as fit as anyone else he might be able to find.” 

San huddles down over his knees and nibbles at his chicken skewer again. “Thanks,” he murmurs, sparing the Fixer a sideways glance. “What did you want though?” 

Hongjoong huffs, ever so impressed with the doll, and tilts his head to the side. “Just...want you to call me every once in a while. Every other day or twice a week. Let me know how Seonghwa’s doing. In exchange, I’ll pay you. Really easy money, no?” 

“You want me to spy on him?” San lifts his head up, suddenly suspicious, but the Fixer quickly shakes his head. 

“No. ‘Course not. I mean, you can tell him that I’m paying you if you want, but you prolly don’t wanna do that. I’m not asking for his fucking deepest darkest secrets.” Hongjoong shakes his head with a little sigh. “Just...wanna know how he’s holding up. How’s his business going. What’s he had for lunch. Just that shit.” 

San is quiet as he mulls over Hongjoong’s request. It’s a simple enough request to fulfill, and it’s not as if the Fixer is asking him to dig up any personal details. Nothing that would make him uncomfortable. But it definitely feels odd that Hongjoong is willing to pay for such trivial information. 

“You clearly know what’s up with him though,” he points out to the Fixer. 

“Pardon?” Hongjoong blinks his eyes innocently at the doll. 

“You know that his business is already doing well. You knew he hired me. You send your mercenaries and clients to him it sounds like. Why do you need me to tell you things like this when you clearly have other people?” 

Hongjoong covers his mouth with one hand to hide his laugh, but San still hears it through the holo. “Truly, I commend your training. Dolls definitely have their own little niche that they fulfill, but I’ve never met one quite like you. Your Master must have been one formidable man,” he remarks. San shivers and can’t help but think how true that all is. His Master was not one to be trifled with so easily. “If you were as strong willed, I would be terrified of you as well.” 

San frowns at that remark. Him? Terrifying? In what way and what universe? 

“To answer your question, sure, I do have my own network of contacts that provide me with tidbits here and there, but that’s it. I have no source close to Seonghwa. They’re all spineless little cretins. No one I could send in to be close without fear that they might sell me out. As it were, most of them think I’m keeping tabs on an asset or a target, and I’d like to keep it that way,” Hongjoong explains. “I’m looking for someone much more trustworthy for more private information. You would be perfect.” 

“Private information?” San echoes in confusion. “You want to know useless things like what he ate, though.” In this city, knowledge is power. San knows that well enough from his Master, but even more so now with Yunho and definitely Hongjoong. Yunho is smart and unpredictable in his own way, but San thinks he’s gotten adjusted to the Nomad fairly well now that they’ve been living together. He can guess how the blond feels or what he’s thinking about most times. 

Hongjoong, in total contrast, is a complete enigma for the doll. San can’t quite grasp what he wants at all. What are his goals? Would San be harming his friend by agreeing? Or would it be as harmless as Hongjoong makes it out to be? San honestly can’t tell at all. 

“Hey, information like that can be precious to some people,” Hongjoong defends himself with a little sniff, but what power does he gain from that? What does he gain at all from this? 

“If I agree to this,” San begins slowly, pausing as he thinks about his conditions. Hongjoong is wise and sly with his words, and San is admittedly out of his depths against someone like this. As a doll, San would have only been expected to observe him, absorb his words and relay them later. Piecing together his goals and trying to form a deal are completely out of his capabilities, but he tries anyways. “If I agree to this I want an upfront payment,” he finally says, finishing off his skewer. Seonghwa would be expecting him back soon, and they needed to wrap up this conversation before the ripperdoc discovered them. 

“What’s your price?” Hongjoong asks without throwing up much of a fuss at all. San swallows. Clearly the Fixer had been ready for a scenario like this. 

“Tell me what happened between you and Seonghwa. Why does he hate you so much?”

Hongjoong blinks at the question, clearly caught off guard as he does a double take. “What?” he asks. 

“I need to know,” San insists. “You didn’t answer me last time, and I don’t necessarily think you’re a bad person, but I don’t know if I can trust you if Seonghwa and Yunho don’t like you, so I need you to tell me what happened. Why should I trust you with information on my boss?” 

“Christ.” Hongjoong hides his face behind his hands and rubs at his temples. “Are you being serious right now?” 

“Completely,” San insists. “Why is your relationship so sour?” 

“Because!” The Fixer sighs as his shoulders slump forward in defeat. “He won’t listen to me at all. He won’t accept any form of apology except for maybe my fucking death. Who knows?” 

“I don’t understand.” San fiddles with his little wooden skewer. “Why do you care so much about him when he doesn’t care for you at all?” 

“We dated,” Hongjoong deadpans. “And it was serious no matter what he tells you, you hear me? He meant the  _ fucking world _ to me.” 

“Why don’t you just leave him alone?” San asks bluntly. 

Hongjoong sucks in a deep breath and scowls at the doll. “I have,” he defends, practically bristling at San’s questions. “You think I couldn’t be more direct about it if I wanted to? I’ve kept my distance for a reason.” 

San peeks over to the Fixer before turning his gaze away again. “What happened between you two? That’s my condition for doing this. I want to know.” Information is power. San knows this; Yunho has reminded him of it multiple times, and he knows that Hongjoong can weaponize it. 

But so can the doll. 

Hongjoong is quiet, thinking over the doll’s request. San glances to the door of the workshop. His lunch time was almost up, and Seonghwa would probably be looking for him soon so he can take his own lunch break. Finally, Hongjoong responds, “If I tell you this is more than just a down payment. It’s a fucking loan, you hear?” San straightens up at his words, caught off guard and a bit frightened by the Fixer’s tone. “No backing out. Choose wisely in that case.” 

It’s a double edged sword for the both of them, and Hongjoong knows it. But then again, perhaps he has more to lose from this and this is the only way for him to maintain the upper hand. San hesitates, suddenly unsure if he should agree. 

He should probably say no. Yunho has warned him about the Fixer already, and Seonghwa isn’t exactly partial to him either. San gains nothing by agreeing to Hongjoong’s conditions. And yet, his gut instinct keeps telling him that Hongjoong is trustworthy. He won’t use that kind of information against anyone, least of all Seonghwa himself. 

So San hesitates for one last moment before he says, “Fine. I’ll take your job, so pay up now.” 

Hongjoong sighs, shoulders falling down in an obvious show of relief. “Alright. Sounds fair enough.” Then he pauses and glances to the side like he can see something San can’t. “I’ll call you back in a sec. It’s ‘bout time your boss comes looking for you, right?” 

San sputters but isn’t able to come up with a response before Hongjoong suddenly hangs up on him. And not a second too soon because the door to Seonghwa’s workshop opens up right after, and the ripperdoc pokes his head outside. “Hey,” he greets when he spots San on the stairs, “you almost done with your lunch break?” 

San blinks at his boss, not exactly surprised to see Seonghwa but left in awe about how on earth Hongjoong had timed that so perfectly. How did he know? The doll shudders just thinking about it and abruptly bolts to his feet. “Yeah,” he squeaks, dropping his finished skewer to the ground and clutching onto his holo tightly. 

For a moment, Seonghwa looks concerned. “Everything okay?” the ripperdoc asks as he steps outside of the workshop. 

“Yes.” San smiles at him and holds back the urge to just blurt the truth out to his boss. What kind of employee is he, agreeing to spy on his boss for pay like this? If Seonghwa finds out he probably won’t hire San on full time, but the doll can’t help but think about the desperation in Hongjoong’s voice and words. He’s so clearly looking for an ally he can’t find.

San just isn’t sure if offering to be that ally is a mistake. 

“Go take your lunch,” San tells him as he hops down the steps to the workshop. “I have to make some calls to your Kiroshi dealer. We’re running low on the ocular implants.” 

“Oh? Are we?” Seonghwa scratches his head. He hadn’t even noticed. 

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it!” San shoos him off to get food as he steps into the shop. “Go get lunch!” 

As soon as the door closes behind him, his holo rings again, and he jumps as he whips it out of his pocket. Staring down at the number calling him, San knows who it is this time and he takes in a deep breath before he answers. 

**Author's Note:**

> I go hide now ─=≡Σ((( つ＞＜)つ


End file.
